A small palm tree grew vigorously on the edge of an oasis. One day, a man came by. He saw the little palm tree and couldn't bear to see it growing so magnificently.

The man took a heavy stone and lifted it into the palm tree's crown. Laughing maliciously, he ran away. The little palm tree tried to shake off the stone. But it couldn't. It was desperate.

Since it couldn't get the stone out of its crown, it had no choice but to dig its roots deeper and deeper into the earth to find better support and not collapse under the weight.

Finally, its roots reached the groundwater, and despite the weight in its crown, it grew into the strongest palm tree in the oasis.

Several years later, the man returned, eager to see how crippled the palm tree had grown, if it was still there at all. But he found no crippled tree.

Suddenly, the largest and strongest palm tree in the oasis bent down toward him and said:

"Thank you for the stone you placed in my crown back then. Your burden made me strong!"

African fairy tale