The Great Mountain

There once was a man who lived on the bottom of the Great Mountain. He heard of great treasure that could be found on the other side. He spent years preparing, thinking of nothing else, and finally made his way up. It was a harrowing journey that took decades, but nothing would stop him. He looked only ahead, with visions of treasure leading the way.

Finally, weathered and worn, the man made his way to the other side. His legs could barely hold him but he stumbled away from the mountain until he found an unlocked iron chest. The man opened it and found a magnificent block of silver! He smiled and wiped a tear from his eye before dropping to his knees. He reached in and picked it up. He was now frail and every joint in his body hurt, but he managed to lift the great object. He sat down with it, gently stroking it in his lap. Slowly, the silver tarnished and disintegrated in his hands. He cried out in horror.

As the silver turned into an ugly dirt in his hands, the man looked back at the Great Mountain and saw that it was made of gold. He wondered how he never noticed before.