His Own Postman

Zabir, who had been in the town for already a month studying at a school, was out in the streets. He asked everyone he met if anyone was going to his village on any business. However, he found no one. His village was not a common destination. Occasionally, people from his village came to the town, but the townsfolk had no business that would take them to his village. And he did not find anyone from his village.

Zabir felt despondent. How could he keep the promise he had made to his father if he could not find anyone to help him deliver a letter to his father? A week passed. One morning, while Zabir was in class, the teacher remarked, “Many people have the habit of depending on others for everything. That’s not good. The ideal person is one who does their work themselves. Why should you look for help from others if you can do something yourself? Never forget this advice.”

This advice sparked a new idea in Zabir’s mind. He scolded himself for having wasted his time looking for someone when he could accomplish his task on his own. The next day, Zabir set out for his village early in the morning. It was a long way to go. With hardly any rest, Zabir walked on and on.

Late in the afternoon, he reached the river, beyond which his village was situated. It took a long time for a boat to arrive. By the time he reached home and knocked on the door, it was already night.

His father opened the door and was surprised to see him. “What brings you here?” he asked. “Father, you asked me to write a letter to you once a month. I wrote my first letter but found nobody to send it with. So, I came myself to deliver the letter to you,” Zabir said cheerfully. “Here it is,” he added, pushing the letter into his father’s hand.