The Mysterious Stranger: A Village's Unlikely Savior
On a gray morning, not unlike any other, a strange man arrived in a quiet village. His features were unfamiliar, and his gaze held a hint of mystery. This village was suffering from a problem that troubled everyone: rats.
Houses were spared, fields were looted, and the sounds of rattling at night had become a common occurrence.
But the stranger was unlike any other... He stood in the middle of the market and said loudly, "I pay $100 for every rat delivered to me alive!"
Gloom settled, then questions began... Who is this? Is he serious?
Hours passed before curiosity began to turn into action. Some villagers tried... and were amazed that the man was actually paying.
The streets turned into hunting grounds. Adults and children, men and women, left everything and ran after the rats.
In every house, in every field, there was a chase... The rat became currency!
With the excitement growing, the stranger returned with a new announcement: "Two hundred dollars for a rat!"
The voices rose, and the frenzy intensified. People began searching the walls and breaking the furniture.
A day passed... then another... until the third day came, bringing the resounding news: "Five hundred dollars for each mouse!"
The village was transformed into a state of emergency. No sleep, no rest. People's dreams were filled with golden mice.
In the end, the mice disappeared completely. Not a single mouse was to be seen.
At that moment, the mysterious man emerged again, saying with a broad smile, "I'll be away for a few days, and when I return, I'll buy the mouse for a thousand dollars!"
He left his assistant to guard the place, then disappeared.
A few moments of astonishment passed, then people began searching for any mouse... but they had already killed them all.
At that moment, the assistant began to whisper quietly, "I have some hidden mice... I can sell them to you for only 700, and in a week you'll sell them for a thousand."
Everyone went crazy! They began selling their possessions, mortgaging their lands, and begging for as many as they could.
They bought everything the assistant offered... and then, quietly, he left, too. Days and weeks passed, and people waited for the man's return. But no one did. Not the stranger... nor his assistant.
Let's face it: In a world of greed, illusions are sold at exorbitant prices... and those who don't learn may pay with their lives for a nonexistent mouse.