English Version

    Long ago in Laos, there lived a young boy who had never gone to school. He wanted to be able to read but could not because he did not have an education.

    Next door to the young boy lived an old wise man who wore glasses. Everyday this man would sit outside on his porch and read. Seeing this, the young boy believed that the old man’s glasses gave him the ability to read.  

    Because the young boy wanted to read but did not know how to, he decided to go buy a pair of glasses. He searched in every store from morning until night, trying on every pair of glasses he could find, but he still could not read.

    The young boy became frustrated and yelled at the storeowner, “All of your glasses are no good! I still can’t read!”

    The store owner replied, “Just because you wear glasses, does not mean you can read.”

    “I guess I thought that if I had glasses, I’d be able to read,” said the young boy.

    As a result, the boy finally understood that wearing glasses would not give him the ability to read. In order for him to be able to read, he would have to go to school. Education is important. It is not a gift, for it is a privilege.

   Hmong Version

    Puag thaum ub nyob rau teb chaws nplog, muaj ib tug me nyuam tub tsis muaj ib txoj kev kawm. Nws xav paub nyeem ntawv heev li tiam sis nws nyeem tsis tau, vim rau qhov nws tsis muaj txoj kev kawm.

    Lub tsev nyob npuab ib sav ntawm tus me nyuam tub nyob ib tug yawg laus laus coj ib daim iav. Txhua txhua hnub, tus yawg laus ntawd tawm tuaj zaum ntawm nws lub qhov rooj nyeem ntawv. Pom li no tag, tus me nyuam tub thiaj ntseeg hais tias tej zaum yog daim iav ntawd ua rau tus yawg laus nyeem tau ntawv

    Vim rau qhov tus me nyuam tub xav nyeem ntawv heev li, tiamsis nws tsis paub tias yuav ua li cas, nws thiaj li mus pem khw mus yuav ib daim iav. Nws ncig tag txhua lub khw, sawv ntxov txog tsaus ntuj. Nws sim txhua daim iav uas nws pom, tiamsis nws yeej tseem nyeem tsis tau li thiab.

    Tus me nyuam tub tau chim thiab npau taws heev li nws thiaj li cem tus tswv khw hais tias, “Koj cov iav twb tsis zoo li! Kuv tseem nyeem tsis tau ntawv!”

    Tus tswv khw teb hais tias, “Tsuas yog hais tias koj coj daim iav su, txhais tsis tau hais tias koj yuav nyeem tau ntawv.”

    “Kuv xav hais tias yog kuv coj ib daim iav ces ntshe yuav ua rau kuv paub nyeem ntawv no,” tus me nyuam tub teb tus tswv khw.