How do you stand?

• How much do you stand?

A wise parable that teaches self-confidence.

One day a young man came to the Master and said:

- I came to you because I feel so miserable and worthless, that I do not want to live. Everything told that I am a loser, a bungler and an idiot. I beg you, Master, help me!

Master, glancing at him, hastily said:

- I'm sorry, but I'm very busy and I can not help you. I've got to settle one very important thing - and, after some thought, he added: - But if you agree to help me in my business, then I will gladly help you in yours.

- With ... with pleasure, Master, - he muttered, bitterly noting that it has once again pushed into the background.

- Well, - he said the Master and removed from his left pinky small ring with a beautiful stone.

- Take a horse and gallop to the marketplace! I've got to sell this ring, to repay a debt. Try to take him a little more, and in any case, do not settle for less than the price of gold coins! Ride the same and come back as soon as possible! The young man took the ring, and rode away. Arriving at the market square, he began to offer the ring to traders, and those with an interest initially examined his wares. But as soon as they hear about the gold coins, they immediately lost all interest in the ring. Some openly laughed in his face, the other just turned away and only one old merchant kindly explained to him that a gold coin - it's too high a price for such a ring and what it can give except that the copper coin, well, at the very least a silver.

Hearing the words of the old man, the young man was very upset, because he remembered the Master's mandate in any case not lower the price below the gold coins. Going round the whole market and proposing ring good hundred people, a young man again saddled his horse and came back. Strongly depressed by failure, he went to the Master.

- Master, I could not fulfill your order - sadly he said. - The best I could get for the ring a couple of silver coins, but because you are not commanded to accept less than a gold! And so this ring is not necessary.

- You just said very important words, my son! - said the Master. - Before you try to sell the ring, it would be nice to establish its true value! But who can do it better than a jeweler? Ride-ka to a jeweler but ask him how much he will offer us the ring. Only that he had not replied to you, do not sell the ring and come back to me. The young man again mounted his horse and went to a jeweler. Jeweler long considered the ring through a magnifying glass, then weighed it on a small scale, and finally turned to the young man:

- sent by the master, now I can not give him more than fifty eight gold coins. But if he will give me time, I'll buy a ring in his seventies, given the urgency of the transaction.

- Seventy coins ?! - the young man laughed happily, thanked the jeweler and at full speed rushed back.

- Sit down here, - said the Master, having heard the story of a lively young man. And know, my son, that you have and this is the ring. Precious and unique! And you can only estimate the true expert. So why do you go through the market, expecting that it will make the first comer?