Ek gaon mein Kareem naam ka ek aadmi rehta tha. Kareem bohot lalchi tha. Uske paas paisa, zameen aur anaaj sab kuch tha, lekin phir bhi uska dil kabhi bharta nahi tha. Wo hamesha sochta rehta ke aur kaise zyada hasil kiya jaye.
Ek din gaon ke bahar usey ek budha mila jo pyasa tha. Budhe ne sirf thora sa pani maanga. Kareem ke paas pani tha, lekin usne socha: "Agar main pani de doon to mera kam ho jayega." Aur usne budhe ko bhaga diya.
Budha jaate jaate bola, "Beta, lalach insaan ko khaali haath kar deta hai."
Kareem ne is baat par hans diya. Lekin kuch din baad gaon mein sakht qehat aa gaya. Kareem ne apna anaaj mehnga bechna chaha, lekin logon ne usse lena band kar diya. Jab wo madad maangne nikla to kisi ne uski baat na suni.
Aakhir Kareem samajh gaya ke uski lalach ne hi usey tanha kar diya. Usne budhe ki baat yaad ki aur apni ghalti ka ehsaas hua. Phir usne apna bacha hua anaaj gaon walon mein baant diya.