Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived two best friends named Ravi and Sameer. They were classmates, neighbours and their families were very close too.

Ravi and Sameer loved playing together after school. They would ride their bicycles, play hide and seek, and sometimes explore the nearby forest.

One day, Ravi found a shiny gold coin in the forest. He was very excited and quickly showed it to Sameer. They decided to keep their discovery a secret from their parents. They thought they would become rich if they found more.

Ravi and Sameer started spending most of their time searching for more gold coins in the forest. Their parents started to worry, noticing changes in their behavior. Ravi and Sameer would often come home late with dirty clothes and messy hair.

One day, their parents asked them what they had been doing after school. They worried Ravi and Sameer were getting into trouble. The friends knew they shouldn't lie, but they were scared of getting in trouble for keeping the gold coin a secret.

So, instead of telling the truth, Ravi and Sameer made up a story. They said they had been playing soccer with some other kids from the village. Their parents believed them and didn't ask any more questions.

However, Ravi and Sameer felt guilty about lying to their parents. They knew it was wrong but were afraid to confess the truth about the gold coin. They continued searching the forest for more coins, hoping to find enough to make their lies worth it.

One afternoon, while looking for coins in the forest, Ravi and Sameer met an old man. He had a long white beard and was dressed in tattered clothes. The old man smiled at them and said, "I know what you seek, but it comes at a price."

Ravi and Sameer felt nervous but curious. They asked the old man what he meant. He told them there were many more gold coins hidden in the forest, but only those who are truthful and honest could find them.

The old man explained that each lie they had told was like a heavy backpack, weighing them down and making it impossible to reach the hidden treasure. He warned them that if they continued to lie, they would lose their way in life, and the treasure would be lost forever.

Ravi and Sameer looked at each other, realizing the weight of their lies. They decided to confess everything to their parents and promised to be honest from that day forward.

When they returned home, they gathered their parents and tearfully told them the truth about the gold coin and their lies. Their parents were disappointed but happy that their children had learned the importance of honesty.

Their parents explained that it was better to admit a mistake than to continue lying. Together, they decided to donate the gold coin to the village school, so that all the children could benefit from it.

Ravi and Sameer felt relieved and happy after telling the truth. They realized that the joy of being honest was more valuable than any gold coin or secret treasure.

As time went by, Ravi and Sameer continued to be honest with their parents and each other. They stopped searching for gold coins in the forest and instead focused on their studies and playing with their friends.

Their parents were proud of their children's growth and their newfound honesty. They knew that Ravi and Sameer had learned a priceless lesson: the importance of always telling the truth, no matter the consequences.

Years later, Ravi and Sameer grew up to become successful and honest young men. They always remembered the old man's wise words and never let lies weigh them down again.

They shared their story with other children in the village, teaching them about the importance of honesty and the consequences of lying. The story of Ravi, Sameer, and the gold coin became a valuable lesson for all the children in the village.

People often said that Ravi and Sameer's honesty was as bright as the shiny gold coin they had found in the forest. It was a shining example for everyone around them, making the whole village a better and more truthful place.

And so, Ravi and Sameer continued to lead happy, honest lives, surrounded by friends and family who admired and respected them. They never forgot the weight of their lies and the wisdom of the old man in the forest.

The village grew as well, with new families moving in. The children of the village would often hear the story of Ravi and Sameer and the importance of honesty, keeping the lesson alive for generations to come.

Whenever someone in the village was tempted to tell a lie, they would remember Ravi and Sameer's story. They'd think of the old man's warning and the heavy backpack of lies, and they'd choose to be honest instead, making the whole village a more trustworthy and reliable place to live.

And the gold coin that Ravi and Sameer donated to the school? It became a symbol of their lesson, displayed in a glass case for everyone to see, reminding the village children about the importance of always being honest and truthful.

So, the tale of Ravi and Sameer, the gold coin, and the old man in the forest lived on, teaching generation after generation about the value of honesty and the consequences of lying. And as the years went by, the village continued to be a happy, honest, and prosperous place, all because of the important lesson two young boys learned one fateful day in the forest.