Once there was a rich farmer. He had a big house to live in and he stored plenty of good food to eat. He had many servants to work for him.

The farmer had two sons. The elder one was good and sincere. He went out to work in the fields every day. The younger son was lazy. He did not do any work. He wasted his father’s money on the good things in life.

One day, the younger son went to his father and said, `father, give me my share of the property. I want to go and see the world.’

The father was unhappy. He said to him, `Son, you are too young to go out all alone. Nothing is lacking in this house. Do stay with me.’ But the son did not listen to his advice. At last, the father was completed to give him his share. It was a large sum of money.

The younger son left home and went to a far off country. There he spent all his money on bad companions. When all his money was over, his friends went away one by one, leaving him alone.

He was hungry. But he had no money to buy any food. So he went to a citizen of that country and asked for a job. The man asked him to take can of his pigs in the farm. He ate the left over food of the pigs and dark dirty water.

There was a famine in that country. So the young man could not easy get pig’s food to eat. He began to starve. His clothes were torn.

Now the young man thought of his father and the comforts he had in his house. He said to himself, `in my father’s house, even the servants eat food and wear fine clothes. Let me go back home to my father. I will fall at his feet and ask him to forgive me. I will tell him that I am not fit to be called his son and to accept me as one of his servants.

So the young got up and went back house to his father. From a distance, his father saw him and he under stood his position. He was anxiously waiting for his son’s return. The father ran towards his son, hugged and kissed him. His son cried and said, `father, I am sorry…’ before he could complete his words, his father took him inside the house happily.

The loving father called his servants and said, `Bring out the best clothes for him. Put a ring on his finger and a pair of shoes on his feet. Prepare a grand feast for him. My son, who was dead, is alive now. He was lost and is found.

So they began to make merry. There was much joy in that house.