English :
Many years ago, in a peaceful countryside surrounded by hills and forests, there lived an old traveller who spent most of his life walking from village to village. He loved exploring new places and meeting people along the way. Although he had grown old, his spirit remained strong, and he continued his journey with patience and determination.
One evening, as the sun was setting and the sky turned shades of orange and gold, the traveller reached a small river flowing across a narrow path. The river was not very deep, but the stones inside it were slippery, and the water was flowing fast enough to make crossing difficult.
Carefully, the old man stepped into the cold water and slowly moved from one stone to another. The journey across the river required balance and great effort. After several cautious steps, he finally reached the other side. His clothes were slightly wet, and his legs were tired from the difficult crossing.
Instead of continuing his journey immediately, the old traveller looked back at the river. He began collecting fallen branches, wooden planks, and stones from the surrounding area. Slowly and patiently, he started building a small wooden bridge across the stream.
While he was working, a young traveller passed by and watched him with curiosity. He asked, “Why are you building a bridge here? You have already crossed the river, and you will probably never return this way again.”
The old man smiled gently and replied, “That may be true. But someone else may come along this path tonight perhaps a tired traveller, a child, or an elderly person. The river that I crossed with difficulty might stop them. This bridge will help them reach the other side safely.”
After finishing the bridge, the old traveller quietly continued his journey. Later that night, several villagers crossed the river using the bridge he had built. Though they never met the old man, they were grateful for the kindness of a stranger who thought about others before himself.
True kindness is helping others even when we gain nothing in return. The good actions we do today can make life easier for people we may never meet.
Source Credit: Google
Marathi :
खूप वर्षांपूर्वी एका शांत ग्रामीण भागात एक वृद्ध प्रवासी राहत होता. तो आयुष्यभर गावोगावी फिरत असे. नवीन लोकांना भेटणं आणि नवीन ठिकाणं पाहणं त्याला खूप आवडत असे. वय वाढलं होतं, पण त्याची जिद्द आणि उत्साह अजूनही तसाच होता.
एका संध्याकाळी तो चालत चालत एका छोट्या नदीजवळ पोहोचला. सूर्य मावळत होता आणि आकाश नारंगी रंगाने उजळले होते. नदी फार खोल नव्हती, पण तिच्यातील दगड खूप घसरडे होते आणि पाण्याचा प्रवाह थोडा वेगवान होता.
त्याने काळजीपूर्वक नदीत पाऊल टाकलं आणि हळूहळू एका दगडावरून दुसऱ्या दगडावर पाऊल ठेवत नदी पार केली. नदी पार करताना त्याला खूप काळजी घ्यावी लागली. शेवटी तो दुसऱ्या बाजूला पोहोचला, पण त्याचे पाय थकले होते.
नदी पार केल्यानंतर तो लगेच पुढे गेला नाही. त्याने नदीकडे पुन्हा पाहिलं आणि आजूबाजूला पडलेल्या लाकडांच्या फांद्या, दगड आणि फळ्या गोळा करायला सुरुवात केली.
तो हळूहळू नदीवर एक छोटासा पूल बांधू लागला. ते पाहून एक तरुण प्रवासी म्हणाला,
“तुम्ही आधीच नदी पार केली आहे. मग हा पूल का बांधता आहात?”
वृद्ध प्रवासी हसत म्हणाला,
“मी कदाचित या मार्गाने परत येणार नाही. पण आज रात्री कदाचित एखादा थकलेला प्रवासी, एखादं मूल किंवा एखादा वृद्ध या वाटेने येईल. त्यांच्यासाठी हा पूल उपयुक्त ठरेल.”
पूल पूर्ण झाल्यावर वृद्ध प्रवासी शांतपणे पुढे निघून गेला. त्या रात्री अनेक गावकरी सुरक्षितपणे नदी पार करू शकले. जरी त्यांनी त्या वृद्धाला पाहिलं नव्हतं, तरी त्यांनी त्याच्या सद्भावनेची मनापासून कदर केली.
खरा सद्भाव म्हणजे परत काही मिळेलया अपेक्षेशिवाय दुसऱ्यांना मदत करणं. आपण आज केलेली चांगली कामं कदाचित उद्याकोणाच्या आयुष्यात मोठा फरक घडवू शकतात.
Source Credit: गूगल