The Secret of the Old Man’s Strength

One day, Confucius was passing through a village when he saw something unusual—an 85-year-old man and his young son pulling water from a well using a rope and bucket. At that time, most people used horses or oxen for such heavy work.

Surprised, Confucius went up to the old man and said kindly,
“Why are you making things so hard for yourself and your son? You could use animals to do this job.”

The old man quickly gestured for him to be quiet.
“Please don’t say that in front of my son,” he whispered. “I’ll explain, but only after he goes for lunch.”

Confucius was puzzled but nodded. He waited until the young man left.

Later, when they were alone, Confucius asked,
“Why didn’t you want your son to hear what I said?”

The old man smiled and replied,
“I’m 85 years old, yet I still have the strength to work alongside my son, who is just 30. If I had used animals or machines to do this work, I wouldn’t be this strong—and neither would my son ever be, when he’s my age.
If we let machines do everything, we may save time and energy, but we also lose our strength and health.”

He paused, then added,
“In cities, I’ve heard people don’t do much physical work anymore. That might make life easier today—but harder tomorrow. Strength comes from effort. If my son doesn’t work hard now, how will he stay healthy and strong in the future?”

Moral of the Story:

What we do today shapes our tomorrow.
Comfort now can lead to weakness later. Effort builds strength—not just for today, but for life.

Words to Remember:

As Lao Tzu said,
“To truly rest, you must first work hard.”
If we avoid effort in the day, restful sleep may also avoid us at night.

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