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Once upon a time there was a man who raised scallops. This man had one wish: he wanted to cultivate the most beautiful pearl in the world.<br/>He went over to the beach and asked each grain of sand one by one if it would be willing to turn into a pearl. The grains of sand refused, shaking their heads. The man continued up and down the seashore from dawn until dusk, and right when he was about to give up hope he finally got a grain of sand to agree. <br/>The other grains of sand all made fun of it, saying it would be foolish to climb into the clam shell. It would not only be far away from friends and relatives, but also banished from the sunlight, rain and dew, bright moon and cool breeze. It would be isolated even from the air, and could only be with the dark and moist; the cold and lonely. It certainly did not seem to be worthwhile!<br/>But that grain of sand did not have any regrets, and went with the man.<br/>Several years passed and the grain of sand grew into a crystal-clear, sparkling and invaluable pearl. The other grains of sand once laughed, but now were still at best a heap of sand; some of the grains had long ago decomposed into soil. <br/>If there is really such a thing as “Touch a stone and turn it to gold” in this world, it comes only through “hardships and difficulties”, which is life’s greatest treasure! When you have persisted in walking in the dark through the long tunnel of suffering, maybe one day you’ll be surprised to find that you too, once an insignificant grain of sand, will have unexpectedly become a pearl.<br/> |
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