Bliss – The real treasure

Siddhi was a five-year-old girl. One day, when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Siddhi saw a plastic pearl necklace. She really wanted that necklace and asked her mother for it. Her mother replied, “Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. But I do know of a way that you can have it. I’ll buy you the necklace and when we get home, we can make up a list of chores that you can do to earn the necklace. Okay?” Siddhi agreed and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.

Siddhi worked on her chores very hard every day and sure enough. Soon, Siddhi had paid off the pearls. How she loved those pearls! She wore them everywhere – to school, whenever she went out with her mother to run errands, and even to bed ! The only time she didn’t wear them was while having bath, because her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!

Siddhi had a very loving father. When Siddhi would go to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair and read Siddhi her favorite story. One night, when he finished the story, he said, “Siddhi, do you love me?” “Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you,” the little girl said. “Well, then give me your pearls.” “Oh, Daddy! Not my pearls!” Siddhi said. “But you can have Sheela, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, okay?” “Oh no, darling, that’s okay.” Her father kissed her cheek and said, “Good night, little one.”

A week later, her father once again asked Siddhi after the bedtime story, “Do you love me?” Siddhi replied “Oh yes, daddy, you know I love you.” So, her father again said, “Well, then give me your pearls.” To which, Siddhi replied, “Oh Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Rani, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She’s my favorite. Her hair is so soft and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Rani if you want her, Daddy,” the little girl said to her father. “No, that’s okay,” her father said and kissed her cheek again. “God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams.”

Several days later, when Siddhi’s father came in to read her a story as usual, Siddhi was sitting on her bed, anxious and trembling because she finally decided to give the necklace to her daddy. “Here, Daddy,” she said and held out her hand. She opened the fist that held her beloved pearl necklace. She let the necklace slip into her father’s hand. With one hand, her father held the plastic pearls and with the other, he pulled out of his pocket, a blue velvet gift box. Inside the box were genuine, beautiful pearls. He had them with him all along. He was waiting for Siddhi to give up the cheap imitation necklace so he could give her the real pearls.

Moral: Dear children, this story teaches us a very valuable lesson. Just like Siddhi’s father, who loved his daughter and she loved him, so also there are many situations in life where we will be expected to give up something we love the most. But in return there will be something even better waiting for us.