The Straw Millionaire
Once upon a time, there was a poor man who lived in a small village. He had nothing but a piece of straw. One day, he prayed to a deity at a shrine, asking for good fortune. When he finished praying, he tripped and fell, and the piece of straw got stuck in his hand.
As he walked home, he saw a horsefly buzzing around. He caught it and tied it to the end of the straw. Soon after, he met a woman with a crying child. To cheer up the child, he gave the straw with the horsefly tied to it. The child stopped crying, and the woman was very grateful. In return, she gave him three oranges.
The man continued walking and met another traveler who was very thirsty. He offered the traveler the oranges, and the traveler was so grateful that he gave the man a beautiful silk cloth in return.
Later, the man met a samurai who admired the silk cloth. The samurai offered him a horse in exchange for the cloth. The poor man agreed and now had a horse.
While traveling with the horse, he met a wealthy merchant who was impressed by the horse. The merchant needed a horse and offered the man a large plot of land in exchange. The man accepted and now had a big piece of land.
The man worked hard on the land, growing crops and building a home. Over time, he became very wealthy, all because he had started with a simple piece of straw.
This story teaches us that even small things can lead to great fortune if we are kind, generous, and take advantage of opportunities.