The Barter – A Beautiful Inspirational Story !!!

One day Abdullah went grocery shopping to the corner store. He noticed a poor little 7 years old boy who was very hungry and was looking at the fresh apples in the store.  Abdullah paid for his grocery and then turned to buy some fruits. Checking the fruits for their freshness he overheard the conversation between the poor boy and Mr. Hooks (store owner)

“Hello Dear Henry, how are you?” said Mr. Hooks.

“I am fine thank you Mr. Hooks, I was just looking at the apples, they look really fresh” said Henry, the little boy.

“Of course they just came in. And how is your mother?” asked Mr. Hooks

“She is fine too” replied Henry

“That’s good, anything I can help you with?” asked Mr. Hooks

“Nothing sir, just admiring the apples” said Henry

“Would you like to take some home?” asked Mr. Hooks

“No Sir, I can’t as I have no money” said Henry

“Well, what have you got to give me in exchange for some of the apples?” asked Mr. Hooks

“All I have got are some colorful marbles” said Henry

“Let me take a look at them” said Mr. Hooks

“Hmmm they look good, but I can see that you have just black and blue color marbles. Do you have green colored marble like these at home?”

“I am not sure, but I have to take a look” said Henry

“Okay great then. Take these apples home and on your next visit this way let me take a look at the green marble” said Mr. Hooks

“All right, Thanks Mr. Hooks” said Henry and left with a bag of apples

Mrs. Hooks, who was standing nearby came over to assist Abdullah with buying fruits and with a smile she told, “There is another boy like Henry in this street, both their families are poor. James (Mr. Hooks) just loves to bargain with them for apples, mangoes, tomatoes and other stuff. When the boys come back with green marbles, James tells them he doesn’t like green marble anymore and sends them back with a bag of food in exchange for an orange marble or a red one when they come on their next trip to the store”

Abdullah left the store smiling and impressed with this man. After a short time Abdullah had to leave the York city and move to another city, but he never forgot the beautiful story of the store owner and the boys.

Several years later, Abdullah had an opportunity to visit some of his old friends in York. He thought he would visit Mr. Hooks too. There Abdullah learnt that Mr. Hooks had died just a day before.

They were having his visitation that evening so Abdullah and his friends went to pay their condolences to Mrs. Hooks.  Upon arrival at the mortuary they stood in the line to meet the relatives of the deceased.

Ahead of them were two very handsome young men. Both were very well dressed with nice haircuts and dark suits looking all professional. They approached Mrs. Hooks. Each of the young men hugged and kissed her on the cheek and then moved on to the casket.

Each one of the young man stopped briefly near the casket placed his warm hand over the cold lifeless hand of Mr. Hooks and left the mortuary wiping their eyes.

When Abdullah’s turn came to meet Mrs. Hooks he reminded her who he was and reminded her of the bartering story she had told him about the two poor boys and Mr. Hooks. With glittering eyes Mrs. Hooks took Abdullah near the casket and told “Those two young men just left were the two poor boys I told you about. They told me that they loved James very much and they remember very well how James would trade them food for their marbles. Now at last when James could not change his mind on the color of the marbles they came to pay his debt”

“There is no greater wealth on Earth than this” She added.

With her gentle hands she lifted lifeless fingers of her deceased husband only to find resting underneath two lustrous green marbles.

Dear Readers, could you give a suitable moral for the story ?