The Midas Fish

Originally shared by The Art Of Living Journal

The Midas Fish

And the Fish said to the Boy…

”Let me tell you a story. One night villagers were sitting by their river bank about to eat when one villager noticed a young child floating upside down and drifting down the river. Several villagers jumped to their feet, dived in and tried to rescue the child. It was too late.

A short while later, another young child was noticed, coughing and screaming as it struggled to stay afloat. This time, the villagers were luckier and the child, although bruised and battered, lived.

This turn of events continued and the frequency with which the villagers had to attempt to rescue babies and children from the river increased. Sometimes the villagers were successful, but this was not always guaranteed.

Soon the resources and people power of the village were directed at saving as many children as they could. This activity occupied the villagers constantly and other endeavors they had previously pursued had to be forgotten – but this was accepted, as it was a worthy cause.

One day, a villager began to walk away from the village heading upstream. He was questioned “Where are you going?! We need you here”. The villager replied “I am going upstream to find out why these children end up in the river.”