Once, there was a little boy who was very noble. He was very poor so he would work as a shepherd for a living.

One day as he was watching his flock, which was feeding in a grassy meadow, on the borders of a forest.a strange hunter came out of the woods and asked him ” How far is it to the nearest village?”

” It would be six miles from here” replied the boy politely,” but the road is only a sheep track, and very easily missed.”

The hunter glanced at the crooked track and said, “Little Boy, I am very hungry, tired, and thirsty. I have lost my companions and missed my way. Please leave your sheep here and come show me the road. I will pay you well.”

“I cannot leave my sheep unattended,” rejoined the boy in confusion.

“They would stray into the forest and can be eaten by wolves or stolen by robbers.”

“Well, so what? They are not your sheep. The loss of one or more wouldn’t be much to your master I believe. If that is the worry then I will give you more money than you can earn ina whole year.”

“I cannot go, sir,” the boy replied very firmly. “

My master pays me for my time, and he trusts me with his sheep. If I were to sell my time, and the sheep should get lost, it would be the same as if I stole the sheep myself.”

” Well, then..” said the hunter, ” you can trust your sheep with me while you go to the village and get me some food and water to drink. I will take care of them for you.”

The boy shook his head and said “The sheep do not know your voice, and you do not look like you have ever reared a sheep.”

“Can’t you trust me? Do I look like a dishonest man?” asked the hunter angrily. The boy in a scared tone said, “You tried to make me false to my trust, and wanted me to break my word to my master. How do I know you would keep your word to me ?”

The hunter laughed, for he felt that the boy had fairly cornered him. He said “I see that you are a good, faithful boy. I will not forget you. Show me the road and I will try to make it out myself”.

The little boy now offered the humble contents of his lunch box to the hungry man, who, coarse as it was, ate it gladly. 

Then, from nowhere his attendants came up and then to his surprise, the little boy found that the hunter was the Raajkumar, who owned all the country around. 

The Raajkumar was so pleased with the boy’s honesty that he sent for him shortly after and had him educated.  In after years, the boy had grown up enough and he became a very powerful and influential man in the whole country, but he remained honest and true forever.

Moral of the Story: Honesty, truth and fidelity are precious jewels in the character of any person and make the possessor very beautiful, very happy, very loving.