“The Sweetest Fragrance: A Lesson from a Little Girl” – a short story

The teacher asked the students, “What is the best fragrance in the world?”
One child said, “The smell of roses.”  Another answered, “Perfume.” Many others gave similar replies, naming flowers, perfumes, and other pleasant scents.

Then, the teacher turned to a quiet little girl sitting in the corner of the class. She was wearing old, worn-out clothes — the daughter of a daily wage laborer.

When asked the same question, she looked up with innocent eyes and softly replied,
“The best fragrance is the smell of food — of a roti — that we get to eat after many days.”

The entire class, including the teacher, fell silent — deeply moved by her heartfelt answer.

Frankly speaking, this innocent reply reminds us to value life’s basic blessings often overlooked in our pursuit of luxury.