In ancient times, there lived a husband and wife. They spun wool and wove products from this wool. They sold hand-woven products at the market and earned their living from this.

One day, the head of the family, after successfully selling his goods, was returning home; on the way, he met two people arguing with each other. He approached them and asked them to explain the reason for their quarrel. They explained to him that they had quarreled over one dirham. Then he gave one dirham he had earned for the whole day to these people and returned home without any money.

He told his wife about everything that happened at home. His wife approved of his action. The next day my husband went to the market again and earned one dirham. With all the money he earned, he bought fish. In the evening, when the wife wanted to cook a fish dinner, she finds a large pearl inside the fish. The delighted husband and wife show the pearl to the jeweler. The jeweler buys this precious stone from them for one hundred and twenty-five dirhams.

At this time, a beggar man appears on their doorstep and asks for alms. The owner of the house gives him half of the money earned from the sale of the pearl. The beggar left, but barely took two or three steps before returning:

“Almighty Allah has tested you. He found you to be a generous and gracious person. Through me, he ordered to inform me that paradise awaits you in the afterlife,” he said, returned all the money and disappeared from sight.

Vepa Shageldiev is a teacher at the Turkmenabat River Vocational School.

An excerpt from page six of the “Türkmen Gündogary” newspaper, published on November 9.