There was a family that owned a vast tract of land. The household consisted of four sons, all of whom earned their livelihood through strenuous manual labor in the fields. The family was quite large; consequently, despite their immense hard work, their earnings were meager—primarily due to a scarcity of water in the fields and the relentless onslaught of adverse weather conditions. As a result, they struggled even to secure their daily meals, making the education of their children a distant and unattainable dream. Furthermore, if anyone fell ill during this period, it would be akin to adding insult to injury—a compounding of misfortunes upon their already dire poverty. Given the family's large size, internal conflicts and disputes were also on the rise; ideological differences prevailed, as each brother desired to pursue a distinct approach to farming in order to maximize his earnings.
Observing this discord, the family patriarch decided to divide the land into four equal portions, entrusting each brother with the responsibility of his own immediate family, thereby allowing each to pursue whatever course of action they deemed best.
A state of famine prevailed in the region. Amidst these dire circumstances, all four families were plunged into despair.
It was at this juncture that an industrialist arrived in the village.
He presented a proposal to the four brothers, offering to purchase their land; in exchange, he promised to pay them the market value of the property and to provide employment to any family members who wished to work.
The following day, the youngest brother explained the entire proposal to the others in great detail.
He declared that he was willing to accept the offer; however, the two eldest brothers adamantly refused. They argued that this was their ancestral land—a sacred heritage—and vowed that they would sooner starve to death than surrender their property.
The youngest brother pleaded and reasoned with them at length, but they remained unyielding.
A few days later, the industrialist extended the same proposal to another landowner in the village.
Weighing the dire circumstances they faced against the future prospects of their children, that family decided to accept the offer.
Some time passed, and an industrial facility was established on that very land, providing employment opportunities to numerous villagers.
Moreover, the original landowner received the monetary value of the land, and his children secured jobs within the enterprise.
With these resources, they were able to launch other business ventures and even purchase additional land in neighboring cities.
Their lives underwent a profound transformation for the better.
They built a magnificent bungalow—a sprawling estate where, ironically, the task of maintaining the gardens fell to the very four brothers who had initially been offered the opportunity to join the industrial project.
One day, the industrialist visited that house; upon seeing the four of them, he recognized them and asked, "How are things going?" Bowing their heads, they replied, "The moneylender's debt had mounted, and we lost our land; now, we work as laborers and tend to the orchards." The industrialist remarked, "Had you heeded my advice, you would not be in this plight today."
To this, the youngest brother replied in a sorrowful tone, "What is the use of regretting now, when the birds have already devoured the entire crop?"