Once upon a time....there was a farmer, Latif, who worked very hard to earn a living. He was married to a beautiful lady whom he loved dearly. He wanted to fulfill each and every wish of her. But it is a tough life. In the mere income that he earned, it was impossible to think beyond the daily needs.
One sunny day, he set off at the dawn for the forest to collect firewood. He put his belongings under a tree and started his work. An old man was passing by, he had a cup in his hand. He held it tightly with both his hands, in a way like it was very precious. Latif asked the man why was the man carrying that cup into the forest.
"To bury it deep somewhere here" replied the old man.
"But why? The cup looks precious. It has a beautiful golden color. Can I have it if you don't need it? I will gift it to my wife." said Latif.
The old man looked confused. And then, he asked Latif if he would trade all the firewood he had collected for that cup. Latif was shocked.
With confusion, he asked the old man what was so special about that cup that he wanted a big payment for it.
"This cup is no ordinary cup. If you fill this cup with your tears, the tears will turn into pearls." said the old man.
"If really that cup is such a special cup then why did you want to bury it?" Latif asked.
"You will know the answer to that question yourself." the man answered with a smile, picked up all the fire wood that now belonged to him and went on his way.
Latif returned home with tremendous joy. He decided to make a necklace of pearls for his beloved wife. But how would he fill that cup with tears? he was happy and it was impossible for him to shed tears.
He picked up a knife from the kitchen. And with a quick movement, cut his hand. Blood fled from his hand. He was in pain and tears started rolling down his cheeks. he collected all the tears and as soon as the cup was filled up to the brim, all the tears turned into pearls. He make a necklace and presented it to her wife. She was on the top of the world when she wore it. But she was suspicious that how could Latif get her such an expensive gift. When she interrogated, he simply said," A wise old man gave me this when i went to the forest in exchange for the fire wood I collected.
Time passed and Latif was a rich man now. He had expanded his business with the help of that mug. He could buy anything that her wife wished to have and they were having a happy life. But, he wanted more.
He used to hurt himself so that he could collect his own tears. But one day, he felt no pain. He didn't cry when he hurt himself.
When he returned home that day, he told her wife about the mug at last.
"Can you do me a favor?" asked Latif to her wife.
"Yes dear. What is it?" her wife replied with fondness.
"Promise me you will do it."
"Yes i will."
"Please forgive me." Latif said. And in a moment, he killed her wife with a knife that he had been holding behind his back.
He cried and cried and cried sitting on a huge pile of pearls, with her wife's body in his lap, a blooded knife in one hand and the mug in his other hand collecting his tears.
He knew the answer to the question he asked the old man.