The Price of a Dream

One morning, a cheerful farmer arrived in the village square, beaming with joy.

“I had the most wonderful dream!” he announced to everyone. “I was a king, living in a grand palace, surrounded by gold, music, and servants. I could feel the silk, taste the feasts it was all so real!”

The villagers laughed along, enjoying his happiness. The farmer walked around for days, holding his head high, treating himself as though he were truly royalty.

But the very next evening, a heavy storm struck. His humble shed, worn from age, collapsed in the rain. The next morning, the farmer sat in tears, blaming his fate.

“Why me?” he cried. “Life is so cruel. One moment I’m dreaming of wealth, the next I’m left with nothing!”

Birbal, who happened to be passing through, stopped and listened.

He gently approached the farmer and said, “You happily embraced a dream as if it were real. But now that reality has struck, you reject it as unfair. If you can enjoy false wealth in sleep, you must also accept real loss when awake.”

The farmer wiped his tears and nodded slowly, understanding the wisdom.

Birbal smiled and added, “Dreams are sweet, but life is lived with eyes open. Do not build your peace on illusions.”

Moral: Dreams may comfort, but only truth builds strength live in what is real.