The Greedy Merchant
Traditional | Middle East
A greedy merchant loses his sight due to his excessive greed for treasures offered by a holy man.
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Once upon a time, there was a rich but very greedy merchant. He had just finished selling his spices in faraway lands and was going back home with his forty camels loaded with goods. As he traveled through a deserted area, he met a holy old man sitting by the roadside.
The holy old man greeted the merchant warmly and said, “I know a place hidden in the mountains where you can find the most precious jewels and treasures. If you follow me, you can take as much as your camels can carry, but you must promise to give me half of it.”
The merchant's eyes shone with excitement and greed. He thought of all the riches he could bring back and quickly agreed to the holy man's offer.
After traveling for many hours, they finally reached a secret place hidden deep in the mountains. The area was quiet, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the rocks. The holy old man took out a small, old box from his bag. He opened it carefully and took out some sparkling powder. Whispering some mysterious words, he gently sprinkled the powder on the ground.
To the merchant's amazement, a hidden door in the mountain slowly opened, revealing a cave full of glittering jewels, gold coins, and precious stones. The merchant could hardly believe his eyes. He eagerly began to gather as many treasures as he could, loading them onto his camels.
After he had packed twenty camels full of treasure, he remembered his promise to the holy man. But the merchant's greed got the better of him. He turned to the holy man and said, “You are a holy man, you do not need so much treasure. Let me take thirty camels' worth of treasure, and you can have just ten.”
The holy man sighed but agreed, hoping the merchant would be satisfied. However, the merchant's greed only grew. “Ten camels' worth of treasure is still too much for you. Let me have all forty camels loaded with treasure, and you can take what little you can carry.”
The holy man knew that the merchant's greed would bring trouble, but he agreed again, thinking it was time to teach him a lesson.
Finally, the merchant noticed the small old box that the holy man had used to open the hidden door. “That box is of no use to you. Let me have it as well,” he demanded. The holy man looked at the merchant and said, “Alright, you can take the box, but remember this warning: If you sprinkle the powder in your right eye, you will see everything as gold. But if you sprinkle it in your left eye, you will go blind.”
The merchant did not care about the holy man's warning. As soon as the holy man left, he sprinkled some powder into his right eye. Instantly, everything around him turned into shimmering gold. The merchant was delighted and thought to himself, “If this powder can make me see everything as gold with one eye, imagine what it will do if I sprinkle it in my other eye!”
Without thinking, the merchant sprinkled the powder into his left eye. Suddenly, everything went dark. The merchant had gone completely blind, just as the holy man had warned. He realized too late that his greed had cost him his sight.
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