Once upon a time in a small town lived a wealthy merchant. He was very kind and charitable.

He had a son, who had unfortunately fallen into bad company. The merchant tried to stop his son many times and advised him not to go with the bad company.

But all of it was in vain. “Please, do not tell me what to do father! I know what is good and what is bad” claimed the son angrily. One day, a great saint came to the town.

The merchant went to the saint, sought his blessings, and said, “My spoilt son is the only thing that worries me the most.

Please help me”. After a few minutes of contemplation and thinking, the saint replied, “Send your son to my Ashram tomorrow. I will talk to him and make him understand things clearly”.

The Next morning, the merchant sent his son to the saint’s Ashram. There the saint asked the son to pluck a rose from the garden of the Ashram. The son did as the saint asked.

Then the saint asked the son, “Smell it and feel its fragrance, my son”, The boy did so.

Then the saint showed the son a sack of wheat said, “Keep the rose near the sack”, The boy followed the instructions.

After an hour, the saint asked the boy to smell the rose again. “How does it smell now?”, the saint asked the boy. The boy smelt the rose and said, “It smells as good as before” Then the saint said, “Hmm! Now keep the rose near this sack of jaggery” The boy did so.

After an hour, the saint asked the boy to smell the rose again. “Is there any change in the fragrance?” the saint asked the boy. “No. It smells just like before, fresh and pleasant” replied the boy.

Then the saint said, “Boy, you should be like this rose, giving the fragrance to everyone but at the same time not letting the bad smell rub on to you from anyone. Your good qualities are your strength.

You should not lose them in bad company”.The boy understood the saint’s words and wisdom. “I am grateful to you, O Saint, for opening my eyes”, said the merchant’s son with tears in his eyes. From that day, he became honest, kind, and charitable just like his cultured father.