THE WHITE SQUASH

 

In a quaint little bamboo house in front of a large garden lived a man and his wife, all alone. They had always been kind and good to everyone, but they were not happy because the child they longed for had never come to them. Each day for many years, they prayed for a son or a daughter, but their prayers went unanswered. Now that they were growing old, they believed they would always live alone.

One evening, as they sat together in their small home, the woman sighed deeply.

"Oh, how I wish we had a child to fill this house with laughter," she said, looking out at the garden.

The man gently took her hand and replied, "I know, my dear. But we must accept our fate. Perhaps we were not meant to have children."

"But why?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "We have been so good and kind. Why must we be denied this one joy?"

The man could only shake his head sadly, for he had no answers.

In the garden near their house, the couple grew fine white squash, and as the vines bore fruit year-round, they had never been in need of food. One day, however, they discovered that no new squash had formed to replace those they had picked, and for the first time in many seasons, they had no vegetables.

"Why aren't the squash growing?" the woman asked, puzzled as she examined the barren vines.

"I don't know," the man replied, frowning. "The flowers are blooming, but no squash is forming. This has never happened before."

Each day, they checked the vines, hoping to see new growth, but still, there were no squash. Finally, one morning after a long wait, the woman cried out with delight.

"Look! Look!" she called to her husband. "A little green squash! It's finally growing!"

The man hurried over and smiled at the sight. "It's small now, but it will grow. Let's not pick it yet. We should let it ripen fully."

"Yes," she agreed. "We need the seeds for planting."

They eagerly watched the squash grow, and it became a beautiful white vegetable. As the days passed, the woman grew more excited. "It's almost ready," she said one evening. "Tomorrow, we should pick it."

The man nodded. "Yes, it's large enough now. We can finally have something to eat."

The next morning, they brought a large knife and carefully picked the squash. But as they started to cut it open, they were startled by a voice from within.

"Please be careful that you do not hurt me!" the voice cried.

The man and woman stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide with shock. "Did you hear that?" the woman whispered.

The man nodded, his hands trembling. "Yes, I did. But... it can't be. It must be a spirit."

The voice called out again, this time more pleadingly, "Please, open the squash gently!"

Gathering their courage, they carefully cut open the squash. To their astonishment, inside was a lovely baby boy, standing and smiling up at them.

"A baby!" the woman gasped, her eyes filling with tears. "How can this be?"

The baby looked up at them and spoke, "I have come to be your child, if you will have me."

The man and woman were overjoyed. "Oh, of course, we will!" the woman cried, scooping the baby into her arms. "We've longed for you for so long."

Presently, the woman went to the spring for a jar of water. When she returned, she spread a mat on the floor and began to bathe the baby. As she did, she noticed something remarkable.

"Look!" she exclaimed, as gold coins began to appear on the mat where the water droplets had fallen. "The water is turning into gold!"

The man could hardly believe his eyes. "This is a miracle," he said, his voice filled with awe. "Not only have we been blessed with a child, but we are now rich as well."

The couple had been so delighted to have the baby that it seemed as though there was nothing more to wish for. The next morning, the woman bathed the baby again, and once more, the water turned to gold. They now had enough money to build a large house.

As they sat in their new home, the woman sighed contentedly. "We have everything we ever wanted," she said, smiling at the baby. "You have brought us so much joy and prosperity."

But on the third morning, as she prepared for the baby's bath, she noticed something different. The baby seemed sad, and his once-bright eyes were filled with sorrow.

"What's wrong, my dear?" the woman asked, concerned. "Why are you so sad?"

The baby looked up at her with a tear in his eye. "I cannot stay here any longer," he said softly. "I must go."

The woman was shocked. "But why? We love you so much. Please don't leave us."

The baby shook his head. "I have given you happiness and gold, but now I must return to where I came from."

Before the woman could protest, the baby suddenly transformed into a bright light and flew away. At that moment, all the gold they had collected disappeared as well, leaving the man and his wife poor and alone once more.

As they sat in their now-empty house, the man took his wife's hand. "We may not have the gold anymore," he said gently, "but we will always have the memory of the joy he brought us, even if it was just for a short time."

The woman nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Yes," she whispered. "He was the answer to our prayers, even if it was only for a little while."

And so, though they were left alone again, they cherished the memory of the miraculous child who had brought them happiness beyond measure.