THE BROKEN BICYCLE: A Short Moral Story

A young boy ran his bicycle into a wall and broke it. He felt very sad, helpless and angry. He carried the bicycle to an old mechanic and asked,

“How much will it cost to have my broken bicycle repaired? It is the third time it’s broken! It’s so precious to me.”

The old mechanic examined the bicycle for a while, then said,

“It’s badly damaged and would cost you so much money, 20 coins to repair. However, a new bicycle actually costs 30 coins. So, instead of spending 20 coins to repair an old bicycle, maybe you can just buy a new one for 30 coins.”

The boy shook his head in disagreement and said,

“No, I want my bicycle repaired, I can’t just let it go. I can’t accept the fact that it’s damaged. I’ll pay you the 20 coins to have it fixed.”

The old mechanic went ahead and fixed the broken bicycle, spending a lot time. The boy then paid him 20 coins, hopped on his bicycle and rode away.

However, the following day, the boy returned to the old mechanic, saying his bicycle had broken again. With sadness and exhaustion, he asked how much it would cost to have it repaired again.

The old man whistled,

“10 coins. However, your bicycle is old and weak and could develop more problems in the near future. Wouldn’t it better to buy a new one which is just 30 coins?”

The boy said disagreeably,

“I don’t want a new one. I’ll pay you the 10 coins for you to have it fixed.”

As soon as the old mechanic finished fixing the broken bicycle, the boy paid him the money and rode away.

Three days later, the boy went back to the old mechanic because his bicycle had broken again. With frustration and despondence, he cried,

“I don’t have anymore money to repair the bicycle again. Not even a single coin!”

The old man shrugged and said,

“You refused to buy a new bicycle for 30 coins. However, you’ve actually spent over 30 coins trying to fix that piece of junk. How wonderful! I guess, that’s how life is. We put a lot of effort and spend so much time trying to change and fix things that can’t be changed. Instead of accepting the reality, letting go and moving forward, we always want to put the pieces together and control things that aren’t in our control. This is a really, really important lesson to learn and the sooner the better. It’ll change your life and help you achieve your dreams. You simply can’t fix or solve every problems, and trying to do so often just makes things worse. Sometimes, you have to accept the truth, let go of what had already happened and focus on the new things. Yes, new things, just like a new bicycle.

Source: Chima Dickson