The Golden Sovereign

Adapted this story from an old Russian story I read in primary school last time. Wanted to use this for sharing during HopeKids service... but in the end decided it's too long. So anyway, here it is...

One day, there was a man who was sitting down on a park bench, all alone by himself.

He hadn't bathed in a week, and he hadn't eaten for two days already. For you see, he was out of a job and he didn't have family or friends to help him.

At his wits' end, he cried out to God, "God, if You're there, help me. I really have no more money to survive. WHAT SHALL I DO?"

Suddenly, he heard a loud clinking sound behind him. He turned around, and saw a golden sovereign!

He stared at the sovereign. Then he suddenly jumped for the sovereign, grabbed and kissed it!

He happily went off to buy some food.

After a hearty meal, he patted his stomach and said to himself, "Sigh. That was a good meal, thank God. But I spent all my money. Where shall I get my next meal from?"

Then, he felt something in his pocket.

He took out the something... and stared in surprise.

It was exactly the same golden sovereign that he had picked up earlier!

He gaped. "But I DID spend the money! How did it land up back in my pocket again?!"

So he went back to the shop to check whether he had really paid.

To his utter surprise, the cashier told him that she had already taken the sovereign from him!

So, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, I might as well as buy some bread to tide myself over the next few days."

He paid, and he went back to his bench.

Then he took out his handkerchief from his pocket... and out rolled the same old sovereign.

By now, our good fellow was very puzzled. But he wasn't too unhappy about it, as you might guess.

He suddenly chortled. "What a lucky guy I am! Someone Up There must like me very much. Hmm... hey! It seems that everytime I buy something, the sovereign always returns back to me. COOL! OK! I shall go on a shopping spree!!!"

And he went back to the shop, and ordered all his favourite foods and finest wines. The cashier raised her eyebrows slightly, seeing a shabbily-dressed man ordering so much good food, but she simply said, "That will be a hundred, please."

He calmly took out his golden sovereign. And then he put his hand back into his pocket.

There was nothing else there.

The cashier arched her thick eyebrows even more. She said, "Well?"

Our poor fellow hastily fumbled around his pockets, looking for the sovereigns that were supposed to be there.

The cashier had enough of this nonsense. She snapped at him, "If you don't have any more money, then don't waste my time! Your stupid sovereign is only enough for one loaf of bread! Pay up, and get out NOW before I call the cops!"

Meekly, he scampered hastily out of the store.

Grumbling to himself, he leaned back on his bench, and looked up at the sky. "God, you must be making fun of me, right?"

Suddenly, he heard another loud clink. He turned around, and saw... another golden sovereign.

He rolled up his eyes to heaven again. "God, you have a good sense of humour I see."

He took it, and fingered it gratefully. "At least I won't be starving so soon..."

Just when he had said that, a ragged beggar slowly came up to him. He whispered hoarsely, "Sir, sir, I am starving. Do you have any bread or money to spare?"

He felt sorry for the beggar and said, "C'mon old man, I have some small change here. Take it."

The old beggar beamed gratefully and bowing low, he limped off.

The man looked at him disappear, and sighed to himself. "Well, he's in worse shape than me. Anyway, it's getting quite hot here. Where's my hanky?"

Taking out his hanky, a sovereign fell into his lap.

He took the sovereign, and peered at it closely.

"Gee! This is very interesting. It's the same sovereign."

Taking a deep breath, he flopped back onto his bench, and stared up at the sky, not speaking for a few minutes.

Then he sat up, and said, "Lord, I think I get it now. When I want to spend this sovereign on my wants, it doesn't go far. But when I use it to help others in need, somehow this sovereign multiplies and there is enough for us."

And he smiled. "This sovereign was never mine then. It was simply a loan from God. So from today onwards, I shall use this sovereign to help others in need, just like how God helped me in my time of need."