The Finish Line

An emperor once promised a farmer all the land he could cover before sunset, but he had to return to the starting point before the day ended.

Fuelled by dreams of surpassing his neighbour, the farmer ran with zeal. Each milestone brought new ambition—from beating the neighbour to conquering the next village. With every step, his hunger for more land grew. Morning turned to noon, noon to evening. Realizing time was slipping, he sprinted back, heart pounding, body drenched in sweat, vision blurring—until he collapsed with a thud, never to rise again.

He was buried on the very land he had conquered, under a stone that read: “How much land does a man need?”

Learning: In life, we often chase endless finish lines, forgetting the journey. Ambition is beautiful, but pause to live, breathe, and cherish—because success is meaningless if you lose yourself on the way