The Happiness Magnets

What are “happiness magnets” you may wonder. Well, these are the things that can attract happiness into our lives. Have you ever noticed that some people always seem to be happy and lucky, while others always seem miserable, complain about everything, and experience bad luck? Our story today, “The Two Travelers,” will illustrate this effect. Once upon a time, there was a tailor who could make the best clothes in town. Everyone liked him, not only because of his skills, but also because he was always cheerful and willing to help others. The tailor had a neighbor, the shoemaker, who seemed to be the exact opposite. He was never happy. He was always jealous of others, and wore a long, sour face every day. One day, the tailor decided to go to the capital city to find work. Along the way, he met the shoemaker. They resumed their journey across the forest to the capital, where the royal family lived. Some months later, the two bumped into each other in the street. The shoemaker was satisfied that he was doing better than his old neighbor, and did not offer him any assistance. Eventually the tailor’s sewing shop became prosperous. Eventually, the royal family heard of him and appointed him as their royal tailor. When the shoemaker heard the news about his old neighbor, he became discontented. He then told the king blatant lies about him. One day, the king ordered the guards to bring the tailor before him. “Tailor, I order you to find the crown as you have claimed. If you fail, you must leave this city forever.” Thanks to his duck friend, the tailor delivered the crown to the king the very next day. The king ordered the guard to bring the tailor before him once more. “Tailor, I heard that you have claimed that you could make a miniature sculpture of this palace from wax within 24 hours. I order you to prove your claim.” “Worry not, my friend. My family and I will help you.” The next day, the tailor returned to the forest and found a perfect wax miniature of the palace made by the bees. He brought it to the king right away. In the end, the tailor went on to enjoy a prosperous, happy life, while the shoemaker remained miserable, even though they both lived in the same palace. So, you see, our optimism and virtue attract good things into our lives. They are the happiness magnets. This is a beautiful lesson from the story.