The Cobbler and the Banker

Copy 1: 100–120 Words

Once there lived a happy cobbler. He worked and sang from morning till night. One of his neighbours was a rich banker. The banker heard his songs every day.

One day, the banker asked, “How much do you earn in a year?” The cobbler smiled and said, “I do not know. I earn a little every day and eat happily.”

The banker gave him a bag of money. The cobbler took it home and hid it. But then he became worried. He could not sing. He could not sleep at night.

After some days, he returned the money to the banker. He said, “Please take your money. I want my peace back.”

Copy 2: 150–200 Words

Once there lived a happy cobbler. He worked from morning till night. He repaired shoes and sang songs while working. He was poor, but he was always cheerful.

Near his house lived a rich banker. The banker had a lot of money, but he could not sleep well. Every day, he heard the cobbler singing. One day, he called the cobbler and asked, “How much money do you earn in a year?”

The cobbler laughed and said, “Sir, I do not count my yearly income. I earn a little every day. Then I buy food and live happily.”

The banker was surprised. He gave the cobbler a bag of money and said, “Keep this. It will help you.” The cobbler thanked him and took the money home.

But after that, the cobbler changed. He hid the money under the bed. He always thought, “Someone may steal it.” He stopped singing. He could not sleep at night.

At last, he went to the banker and returned the money. He said, “Sir, your money has taken away my happiness. Please take it back.” Then the cobbler became happy again.

Copy 3: 250–280 Words

Once there lived a happy cobbler in a small town. He was poor, but he was cheerful. He repaired shoes from morning till night. While working, he sang sweet songs. His songs made the street lively.

One of his neighbours was a rich banker. The banker had a big house and a lot of money. But he was not happy. He was always worried about his money. He could not sleep well at night. Every morning, he heard the cobbler singing and felt surprised.

One day, the banker called the cobbler and said, “Friend, how much money do you earn in a year?” The cobbler smiled and said, “Sir, I do not know. I earn a little every day. I buy food with it. Then I sleep peacefully at night.”

The banker thought for a while. Then he gave the cobbler a bag of money. He said, “Keep this money. You will not have to worry about your future.” The cobbler was very happy at first. He took the money home and hid it under his bed.

But from that day, his life changed. He always thought, “What if someone steals the money?” At night, he woke up again and again. During the day, he stopped singing. He could not work with a happy mind.

After a few days, the cobbler understood the problem. He took the bag of money and went to the banker. He said, “Sir, please take your money back. Before I got it, I was poor but happy. Now I have money, but I have no peace.”

The banker took the money back. The cobbler returned to his work and began to sing again. The story teaches us that peace is better than money.