Family Works on Farm for Pennies until Son Digs up Treasure from Local Legend – Story of the Day

While working on a farm with his family, a poor boy stumbles upon a treasure chest buried under the ground. He takes it out, thinking it will change his life, but his parents tell him to hand it over to the landowner. What will he do now?

Lucas grew up watching his parents work on multiple farms in the village to make ends meet. He saw them leave the house early in the morning and return after sunset, having no energy for house chores.

As a result, Lucas had promised himself never to work on farms like them. He wanted to study and move to the city, but his parents did not have enough money to support his dreams. Ultimately, the 15-year-old had to join his parents and work tirelessly as they did.

Besides working in the fields, Lucas often conversed with the locals. He was always curious to learn about the history of different villages and find out what myths people believed in.

Meanwhile, his parents would stop him from talking to others because they considered it a waste of time. They wanted Lucas to work on the farm and learn how to plow the field, sow seeds, and harvest crops.

"Come here, Lucas!" his mother shouted from the field while he stood under a tree, talking to a local. "You aren't getting paid to chat with people!"

"I'm coming, Mom!" Lucas responded before he continued talking to a 50-year-old man who had been living in the village since he was a kid.

"Can you tell me more about the treasure?" Lucas asked curiously, his gaze set on the man's face.

"I'm not sure if it's entirely true, son, but I think the field your family is working on has a rare treasure resting in the soil below it," the man said while looking towards the farm.

"How do you know?" Lucas asked.

"Legend has it, son," the man smiled. "But I can't assure you if it's true. You will have to look for it yourself!"

"But this land is too big for me to explore alone," the teenager scratched his head. "Can you specify a location? Is it in the center? Or one of the corners?"

"I would suggest you look for it along the left border of the field," the man replied sternly before walking away from Lucas.

Excited about the new adventure, Lucas ran towards the left side of the field and told his mother he would dig there. She was shocked to see the enthusiasm in his eyes but felt happy thinking her son was finally acting responsibly.

Working on the farmland gave Lucas' family only a few pennies daily, but they somehow managed to make ends meet. They lived in a worn, weathered house with cracked windows and peeling paint. The house's condition was a perfect reflection of how difficult their lives were.

Despite those terrible living conditions with almost no source of entertainment, Lucas looked at the brighter side of things. He began to consider his work an opportunity to change his family's life, unaware of how his optimism would lead him to a precious treasure.

"Let's see what we have here," Lucas said, raising his shovel with all his might before he began digging. He spent more than an hour searching along the left border of the land while his parents worked on the other side.

Almost ready to give up, Lucas felt his shovel hit something hard under the fertile soil. "Oh my God!!!" the teenager exclaimed. "YES!!! This is it!"

The teenager began digging faster, hoping his shovel had touched the treasure he was thinking about. A few minutes later, Lucas screamed excitedly as he held a rusty treasure box.

"Mom! Dad!" he called his parents. "Look what I found!"

His parents immediately rushed towards him upon seeing the treasure box in his hands. "Where did this come from? Did you find it under the soil?" his father enquired.

"Yes, Dad!" Lucas replied excitedly. "A local told me about it. He said it was a myth, but I still searched for it."

"I don't think you should open it, Lucas," his father replied sternly.

"But why? Dad, I'm sure this treasure can change our lives forever!" the young boy explained. "We won't have to work for a few pennies on other people's lands."

"Your father's right, Lucas," his mother said. "I think we should give this ancient chest to the landowner. After all, you found it under his property. We can't keep it with us."

"No, Mom!" Lucas protested. "Please don't do that. Life won't knock on our door with the same opportunity to change our lives ever again. We have to grab this chance, please!"

"No arguments, Lucas," his father said sternly. "Hand it over to me. I'm heading towards Mr. Peterson's house right now, so I'll give it to him."

"Please try to understand, Dad," Lucas wrapped his arms around the chest, begging his father not to take it away.

Lucas' father knew his son wouldn't let him take the chest away, so he asked him to accompany him to the landowner's house. "Why don't you come with me to tell him how you found it?" Lucas' father said.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Lucas agreed to accompany his father with the chest, unaware of what awaited him at Mr. Peterson's house. He thought the landowner would take away all the treasure, but that did not happen.

"What's this?" Mr. Peterson asked as his gaze shifted from Lucas' father to the ancient chest.

"My son found it while digging the field," Lucas' father replied.

"I heard about this myth that someone had hidden a treasure box under your land," the teenager explained. "I found this, and I'm sure it has a fortune inside it."

Upon opening the box, Mr. Peterson's eyes widened as he saw ancient artifacts besides gold coins and gemstone-engraved ornaments. He immediately understood the treasure was worth millions of dollars, but something bothered him.

"Why did you bring this box here? You could have kept it without telling me," Mr. Peterson asked, his gaze locked on Lucas.

"My parents believe in being honest, and they thought it would be unfair if we took the treasure home," Lucas replied.

"But this treasure can change your life completely. You can live a better life, Lucas," the man said.

"I know, but I couldn't convince Dad," the teenager said as he looked at the ground.

"We could share this treasure, Lucas," Mr. Peterson smiled. "You can keep half of it. I'm sure that's more than enough for you."

It turned out that Mr. Peterson wanted to reward Lucas' family for their honesty. The man divided the contents of the treasure box into two and handed one part to Lucas, who couldn't contain his excitement.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Peterson!" Lucas shook his hand. "I can't believe you're sharing the treasure with us."

"Your family deserves it, son. This is a reward for your honesty," the man smiled.

After receiving the treasure worth millions, Lucas and his parents did not have to work on people's farms. Moreover, the teenager could now realize his dream of studying in the city and living a luxurious lifestyle.

What can we learn from this story?

• Honesty can reap unimaginable rewards. Being honest helped Lucas' family change their lives for the better. It also saved them from the guilt they would have felt otherwise if they had taken the treasure home without letting Mr. Peterson know.
• Always be optimistic, even when you're stuck in a problematic situation. Lucas' positive attitude helped him find the chest. Had he felt sad about his hardships, he wouldn't have talked to the resident and learned about the treasure.

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Click here to read another story about a woman who takes her dying dog to his favorite place in the woods for the last time and finds a treasure.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.