In a quiet meadow, there stood an ancient tree named Wisdom. It was no ordinary tree—it could talk! Children from the nearby village often visited to ask Wisdom questions, but it only answered if they asked something truly thoughtful.
One sunny day, a curious boy named Theo came to the tree. “Wisdom,” he asked, “what is the most important thing in life?”
The tree rustled its leaves and said, “Tell me, Theo, what do you see when you look into the pond nearby?”
Theo ran to the pond. “I see my face! It’s like a mirror.”
Wisdom chuckled. “That’s right. And what if you stir the water?”
Theo swirled a stick in the pond. “Now my face is blurry.”
“Ah,” said Wisdom, “the pond is like your mind. When it’s calm, you can see clearly. But when it’s stirred, things become confusing. The most important thing is to keep your mind calm, so you can understand yourself and the world.”
Theo thought about this and smiled. From that day, whenever he felt upset or confused, he would find a quiet spot and think calmly, just like the still pond. He shared the lesson with others, and Wisdom’s teaching spread throughout the village.