Once upon a time, in a small village nestled beside a sparkling river, lived a little girl named Meena. Meena was a lovely child, but she had a tendency to be a little selfish. She loved her toys very much, and often kept them all to herself.
One day, a travelling merchant came to the village. He carried beautiful toys, shimmering like jewels. Meena saw a wonderful, brightly coloured wooden doll. Her eyes lit up, and she couldn't take her eyes off it. She longed for it so much.
The merchant asked for a lot of money, and Meena’s family didn't have enough. Seeing her longing, her mother offered some fruits she’d grown to trade with the merchant. Meena’s face fell. She knew she couldn’t share what she wanted with others. She was focused only on getting the doll for herself.
A kind old woman living nearby saw Meena’s sadness. She had a small, but well-loved, wooden doll. She approached Meena, offering to share her special doll with her. Smiling, the old woman gently reminded her of the joy of sharing and the importance of kindness.
Meena, touched by the old woman's words and kindness, finally understood. With a warm smile, she decided to trade some of her favourite fruits for the doll. This time, she also offered some of the fruits to the merchant to share with the other travellers.
The merchant, impressed by Meena’s generous spirit, felt happy to trade the doll with her. He also gave her a bonus present of some colourful bangles. Both the old woman and the merchant had felt pleased with Meena's sharing.
That evening, Meena felt joy not only for having the doll, but for sharing and connecting with others. She realised that sharing was a magical feeling. She cherished the beautiful doll even more than before. From that day on, Meena learned to value the act of sharing with others, which made her life so much richer.
From then on, Meena shared her toys and her smiles with everyone she met. She understood that true happiness comes from being kind and generous, and her heart felt light and full. The villagers admired Meena’s kindness, and they would often ask her to share her stories of generosity.
Meena continued to be a kind and generous person, remembering always to share with others. And that, my dear, is the story of how kindness made Meena the happiest girl in her village.