Under the Olive Tree
(Two Philosophies)A bus full of tourists passed by a grove of olive trees. The bus stopped for repairs, and the tourists got off in order to stretch their legs. One of the tourists began to watch a young man who was sleeping under an olive tree. Slowly, the young man got up. He shook the olive tree and many olives fell on the ground. Then the young man picked them up and put them into a sack. He continued to shake the tree and pick up olives for half an hour. Then he stretched out again under the tree and rested.
"Excuse me," said the tourist. "What are you going to do with those olives?"
"I'm going to take them to the market and sell them," answered the young man.
"And how much money will you get for them?" asked the tourist.
"Enough to live for a day," answered the young man.
"Then, why don't you shake the tree again, and get some more olives?" asked the tourist.
"Why?" asked the young man. "Why should I do that?"
The tourist answered, "If you pick olives for five or six hours, you will more money."
"Why should I make more money?" asked the young man.
"If you make more money, you can buy a donkey and cart."
"And then what?" asked the young man.
"Then you can bring more olives to market."
"And then what?" asked the young man.
"When you make a lot of money, you can hire a man to work for you."
"And then what?" asked the young man.
"Then you will make much more money. You can buy a truck, and hire two or three men to work for you."
"And then what?" asked the young man.
"When you have enough money, you can build a factory and hire fifty men to work for you. You'll be a rich man!"
"And then what?" asked the young man.
"When you're a rich man, you won't have to work! You can sit and sleep under the olive trees all day if you want to!"
"Ecxuse me," said the young man, "but that's what I'm doing now."
And he stretched out and went back to sleep.
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