The Magic Pear

Once upon a time, in a small village in China, there lived a poor farmer named Lao Li. Lao Li worked hard every day in his fields, but he barely had enough food to feed his family. One day, while walking through the market, he saw a vendor selling beautiful, juicy pears. Lao Li couldn’t afford to buy one, but he couldn’t stop staring at them.

A kind old monk noticed Lao Li’s longing and offered him a pear. Lao Li was overjoyed and thanked the monk profusely. The monk smiled and said, “This is no ordinary pear. It is a magic pear. Plant its seeds, and you will be rewarded.”

Lao Li rushed home and planted the seeds in his garden. He watered them every day and cared for the tiny sprouts that grew. To his amazement, the tree grew quickly, and within weeks, it was full of ripe, golden pears.

Lao Li and his family were overjoyed. They picked the pears and shared them with their neighbours. The pears were the sweetest and juiciest anyone had ever tasted! But the magic didn’t stop there—no matter how many pears they picked, more would grow overnight. Lao Li’s family never went hungry again.

Word of the magic pear tree spread quickly, and soon a greedy merchant heard about it. The merchant visited Lao Li and demanded to buy the tree. Lao Li refused, saying the tree was a gift and not for sale. But the merchant was determined. That night, he sneaked into Lao Li’s garden and dug up the tree, taking it to his own home.

The next morning, the merchant was thrilled to see the tree full of pears. But when he tried to pick one, the pears turned to stones in his hands. The tree withered and died, leaving the merchant with nothing.

Meanwhile, back in Lao Li’s garden, a new pear tree had sprouted from the roots of the old one. The monk’s magic had returned the tree to its rightful owner. Lao Li and his family continued to enjoy the magic pears, sharing them with everyone in the village.