Make a Miracle Happen

Long-long ago, there lived a young man called Vishnu. He lived with his old mother who had worked very hard to bring him up. Vishnu's mother had seen very hard times and now expected her grown up son to shoulder the responsibilities of running the house. Vishnu was just not the kind. The mere mention of work sent him groaning to bed.

Vishnu's only job was to roam around in the adjacent forest poking into hollow tree trunks. Vishnu was looking for a miracle − a magic lamp, or hidden riches that would make him the richest man on the earth in the blink of an eye. The whole day he dreamt about treasure troves and urns full of gold coins, waiting to be found by him. His mothers' pleadings and scolding came to no avail, as did the villager's words of ridicule or advice. Vishnu's madness continued.

One day, Vishnu's mother died. Even her death could not motivate Vishnu to start working and earn a living. His desire for riches and miracle just grew stronger as he sold one household item after another for food. Soon there was nothing left and he soon found himself penniless. Vishnu then decided to go to the big city across the forest. He had heard about fabulously rich people living there in huge mansions. "They must know how a miracle happens, otherwise how could they get so rich," he thought.

Going through the forest was much tougher than he had thought. He soon lost his nerve and very soon lost his way too. Soon he was left with just a small piece of dry bread to survive on. Suddenly, barely able to keep his eyes open due to hunger and exhaustion, Vishnu stumbled over the edge of a deep, dry well in the forest floor.

Luckily he was not seriously hurt. When Vishnu finally managed to get back on his feet and looked up, his heart skipped a beat or two. It was a very deep well indeed. The sky appeared like a tiny circle of light high above his head. In spite of the bright sunshine outside, the depths of the well were pitch dark. Vishnu tried his best to get out, but the walls around him were too smooth to scramble up. Soon fatigue took its toll and he fell down unconscious.

When he regained his senses, the sky above was beginning to darken. Vishnu kept shouting for help, but no voice came back to him. Acknowledging his doom, he sat down to have his last meal...the last piece of dry bread. Just as he was about to take a bite, he heard a voice, "is someone down there?" Vishnu sprang up on his feet. He looked up to find the face of a very old man with a flowing white beard staring down at him.

"You need help young man," the old man asked. "Sure I do Sir. Will you please throw me a rope and pull me out of here," said Vishnu. "A rope! I don't have a rope," said the old man, "and even if I had one, I don't have the strength to pull you out." "Then please go and find someone who can," cried Vishnu. The old man replied, "I don't know of any soul living anywhere nearby. Even if I take the long walk to a village, you will be dead by the time I come back." This made Vishnu lose his temper. "If you can't help me in any way," he said, "then why are you wasting your time standing there talking to me? Go away and leave me alone."

"You are right," said the old fellow, "I was only wondering if you could spare me something to eat. I haven't eaten anything in the last two days." Hearing this Vishnu lost his head completely. Here he was, starved, hurt, exhausted, and doomed to die; and this man was after the only piece of bread he was left with. Out of sheer fury Vishnu threw the bread up towards the old man and shouted, "Here, take this you greedy fellow. Eat my last bite and don't bother to come back for anything."

The old man caught the piece of bread and devoured it in two mouthfuls. Then suddenly there was a bright flash of light. When Vishnu looked up again, in place of the old man there stood an angel with a bright halo around his head. "You still have some virtue left in you young man," said the angel. "Even though in anger, but you did part with your last meal for a hungry stranger. I took two mouthfuls of that bread, so I will make any two of your wishes come true."

Vishnu was elated. At last it had happened...a miracle! Before he could speak, the angel said, "I am sure your first wish would be to get out of this well." "Do you think I am a fool," cried Vishnu, "I am not going to waste this opportunity on such small matters. My first wish is that you give me a hundred urns full of gold." "As you wish," said the angel. Immediately, a hundred urns full of gold appeared around Vishnu.

"Now for your second wish...This time do you want me to get you out of this well your gold," asked the angle. "No way," said Vishnu, "as my second wish fill this well up to my waist with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other precious gems." "As you wish," said the angel again. In a flash Vishnu found himself half buried amidst heaps of precious stones and jewels. At last a miracle had happened and he was the richest man in the world.

"Son," said the angel, "I have made both your wishes come true. Now I must leave. Let me tell you that if you don't get this treasure out of the well before sunrise tomorrow, all this gold and all these jewels will turn into rocks and boulders." Saying this the angel disappeared. Vishnu was not bothered. He was sure that will all this wealth around him, anyone would pull him in exchange for some money. So he started shouting, "anyone who gets me out of here gets one urn full of gold. Come, get me out of here and I will make you rich!"

Nobody came. As the time ticked away, Vishnu started getting worried. With passing time, Vishnu started increasing his offer. From one urn full of gold, the offer went up to two, five, ten, twenty, even fifty urns full of gold. Still, nobody came. As the stars started to fade away, Vishnu was desperate to get out of there with just one urn of gold or a handful of jewels. Still, nobody came. Alas, came dawn. As soon as the first beams of sunlight penetrated the well, all of Vishnu's treasure turned into rocks and boulders.

Vishnu was heartbroken. For hours he mourned his terrible loss, but then, hunger and thirst took precedence over the misfortune. Looking at all the boulders around him, he suddenly came upon an idea. Slowly he started piling the stones in layers to create an incline against the wall of the well. The task was backbreaking. But the thoughts of having to die there like a rat kept him going. Hours later, his head finally rose above the gaping hole in the forest floor. He heaved himself out and lay there exhausted.

Once the joy of evading a certain death settled, the sense of the great loss returned. Vishnu again started crying bitterly. Suddenly felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up to find a hermit standing there.

"What makes you cry like this my son," asked the hermit. Vishnu narrated the whole story of his misfortune. "Why did it happen to me," Vishnu sobbed. "Your fortune was defeated by your own greed," said the hermit, "Still, just look inside that well again and you will realize what you have achieved. Evading a certain death is the biggest miracle that happened to you," said the sage, "And who made that miracle happen, but you!" Saying this, the hermit went away.

Vishnu realized his mistake. He successfully found his way out of the forest to the big city. There he used his intelligence to make his own miracles happen and earn all the comforts and riches he had dreamt of.