One day a wise old man was passing by and saw the innkeeper in front of the house.
Buddhist stories with morals : The six bells
There was once an inn called the Silver Star. The innkeeper did everything he could to lure weary travelers and make the shop profitable. He took care of everything, the beds were comfortable, the food was tasty and varied, the prices were friendly, but it was as if the place was cursed, no one stopped in, no one stayed the night.
The innkeeper was very sad and desperate. One day a wise old man was passing by and saw the innkeeper in front of the house. The innkeeper spoke to him and told him his great complaint. The old man said, "Rename your innkeeper!
- "Impossible," said the innkeeper, "this place has always been called the Silver Star! That is how it is known in the neighborhood.
- "No!" said the wise man firmly, "From now on you will call it Five Bells. You will hang six bells above the entrance."
- "Six bells? - But that's absurd! What good would that do?"
- "Just try it, " - the old man smiled and went away.
What could be done, the innkeeper tried the advice. What happened was that everyone who passed the inn stopped to point out the mistake, thinking that no one else had noticed it. Inside, however, they were pleasantly surprised by the warmth, the pleasant food, the good drinks, the cordial service. They sat down and stayed there, giving the innkeeper a successful day's business. The place became known.
There are few things we enjoy as much as correcting and talking about the mistakes of others.
More buddhist stories with morals?
(Anthony De Mello)
