Wisdom story: A lesson about establishing true worth

One day a young man came to the villages wisest man called the Teacher and said, “I came to you because I feel so pathetic and worthless that I do not even want to be alive. Everyone around me is saying that I’m a loser, a useless idiot. What if they are right? I need your help, Teacher.”

The Teacher, glancing at the young man responded, “I’m sorry, but I’m very busy right now, so I can not help you. I need to urgently settle a very important matter. But if you agree to help me in my quest, then I will gladly help you with yours.”

“With … with pleasure, Teacher,” muttered the young man, noting with bitterness that he was once again being treated as less important.

“Very well,” said the Teacher as he removed a small ring with a beautiful stone from his left little finger.r “Take the horse and ride down to the market square! I need to sell this ring to pay a debt. Try to get as high a price as you can get and do not agree to the price lower than a gold coin under any circumstances! Head down and return as soon as possible!”

The young man took the ring and rode away. Arriving at the market square, he began to offer the ring to the merchants. At first, they looked upon the ring with interest. However, when they heard about the price of one gold coin, they immediately lost all interest in the ring. Some openly laughed in his face, others simply turned away, and only one elderly merchant kindly explained to him that a gold coin is too high a price for such a ring and that only a copper coin, or at the very most a silver one, can the young man hope to get.

Hearing the old man’s words, the young man was very upset because he remembered the Teacher’s order that he was not to lower the price below a gold coin. The young man tried again. He went around the whole market offering the ring to at least a hundred people. But defeated, the young man saddled his horse and returned to the Teacher. Feeling like a failure, he approached him and said “Teacher, I was not able to complete your assignment. At best, I could have gotten a pair of silver coins for the ring, but you ordered not to settle for less than gold! I don’t know whether this ring is really worth a gold coin.”

“You just said very important words young man!” replied the Teacher. “Before trying to sell the ring, it would be nice to establish its true value! Well, who could do that better than a jeweler? Ride down to the jeweler and ask him how much he will offer us for the ring. Only, whatever he tells you, do not sell the ring. Come back to me.” The young man again jumped on his horse and went to the jeweler.

The jeweler took his time examining the ring through a magnifying glass. He then weighed it on small scales and, finally, turned to the young man saying “Tell the Teacher that I can not give him more than fifty-eight gold coins at this time. But, if he gives me two days, I’ll buy the ring for seventy, given the urgency of the matter.” “Seventy coins?” the young man laughed happily. He thanked the jeweler and rushed back to the Teacher in full gallop.

“Sit down here,” said the Teacher, listening to the young man’s animated story. “And know, son, that you are very much like this ring. Precious and irreplaceable! Only a true expert can appreciate you. So why are you walking around the bazaar, expecting the first person to do that?”