Once in a village lived a cunning landlord who owned a lot of land in village. He used to lend money to poor in exchange of mortgage of their land and used to take advantage of them by adding on interest to principle amount so that in end they had to surrender their piece of land to him.
In village, lived an old lady who hand some land in her name. She was alone and there was no other family member. She used to grow her own crop on that land and fulfil her needs.
Landlord wanted to have that land but he was not able to lure her into giving up her land to him. He then bribed government official and forged paper of ownership on his name.
Then one day, along with government officials, he visited old lady to claim his ownership over that land. Old lady was shocked to know this and pleaded that she has been living there her whole life and that land was owner by her ancestors.
She inherited it and never mortgaged that land to him. But even after plea to court, she couldn’t get her land back. Dejected old lady then prepared to vacant the land while landlord stood there waiting for her to leave.
While leaving, with sad heart, old lady approached landlord and said, “You have taken everything from me today. My entire life was spent here and now I have to leave. This land, this soil is very dear to me.
Please allow me to carry a basket filled with this soil to keep with me, so that I can keep that by my side. That way I will always have an aroma of this place with me and die peacefully.”
Landlord smirked and thought, “I got this land with even paying to her. I might let her have some soil so that she can leave quietly.”
He replied, “Sure, You can fill up your basket.”
Old lady started filling up her basket with soil. While doing so, she over filled that basket and it got difficult for her to carry over her shoulder.
She said to landlord, “Sir, can you please lend me a hand and put this basket over my head?”
Landlord came forward to help and said, “Didn’t you think before you over filled this basket? You are struggling even to lift it up then how can you carry this with you?”
Old lady replied, “Sir, this entire land was my own. I spent my whole life here yet I am struggling to carry a single basket of soil from here while I am still breathing. I won’t be able to carry with me, when I die.
You have so much of other’s land. I imagine, how will you carry it all with you?”
Landlord stood there stunned. He realised his mistake and apologised to her for his wrong doing and returned her land.