Indian Stories

Our Privilege

"I wish I were a bee," said Arvind...

Arvind threw up his book and pencil, I hate to study," he said. He did not want to do his homework. So he went to the park. There he saw bees flying from flower to flower to collect nectar for making honey. I wish I were a bee," said Arvind.

The queen bee heard him. She flew to him and said, "Why do you wish you were a bee?"

"Because bees enjoy sipping honey," replied Arvind. "They do not work."

"You are mistaken, my friend," said the bee. "We work very hard. We fly for hours together to search for nectar. Then we come back to the hive. We get tired flying from our hive to the flowers and from the flowers to the hive again and again. We do this day after day.."

Arvind did not like what she said and walked on. He saw trees laden with fruits. I wish I were a tree," he said. "How lucky these trees are! They do not have to do homework like me. They must be happy indeed."

"You are mistaken, my friend," replied the apple tree. We are not lazy. We are busy taking water from the soil and making food. We produce flowers and fruits for you. If we did not work, what would you eat?"

Arvind did not like the way the apple tree spoke. He went on. He saw a sparrow busy eating grains. "I wish I were a sparrow!" he exclaimed. "Sparrows neither sow nor reap. They only enjoy eating others' grains."

"Oh, no!" protested the sparrow. We work hard. We search for our food the whole time. We have to build nests, hatch our eggs, feed our babies and protect them from enemies."

Arvind understood that the bee, the tree and the sparrow were speaking the truth. He knew now that all have to work hard to be happy. He came back home and began to do his homework happily. If we do not work, we would not have food, clothes, books, toys and other things we like to have. Only when we work can we be happy.