Socrates and His Friends
Once upon a time, at the edge of an old forest where cool waters flowed, there lived a wise man. Everyone called him Wise Socrates and often knocked at his door to profit from his deep knowledge. He decided to build himself a small and modest hut among the sweet-smelling pine trees. Working for days, he sanded the boards with care and patiently laid the stones one on top of another. When the roof of the hut was finished, a tiny and lovely house had appeared. The villagers who saw the hut began to gather round it in astonishment.
One of them smiled, came up to the wise man and asked him curiously. "O wise man, why did you build such a tiny house when you have such great fame?" Another joined in, criticizing how narrow the hut was. "In this cramped room not even two people could sit comfortably side by side!" The curious crowd went on whispering, thinking that this tiny building did not befit his renown. Wise Socrates listened to the criticism with a calm smile and shook his head slightly.
Looking at the curious eyes around him, he answered in a voice full of wisdom. "If only I had enough true friends to fill even this tiny house." The villagers who heard these words sank into a deep silence and looked at one another's faces. The crowd understood how rare and precious a treasure true friendship is. It was not the number of people but the sincerity of the bond of the heart that had opened wide horizons in their minds. The wise man opened the door of his tiny house wide and stepped inside in peace. For a person rich in heart, it is not crowds but true friendships that matter. A thousand friends are few, one enemy is many.