The Astrologer

A long time ago, there lived a man who believed he could read the future in the stars. He called himself an astrologer and spent his nights gazing at the sky, studying the constellations and planets.

One evening, he was walking along the open road outside his village, his eyes fixed on the heavens. He thought he saw a terrible sign—the end of the world was near!—when suddenly, he fell headlong into a deep hole filled with mud and water.

Up to his ears in muck, he clawed desperately at the slippery sides of the hole, trying to escape. His frantic cries for help soon brought the villagers running.

With their help, he was pulled out of the muddy pit. One of the villagers shook his head and said:
"You claim to read the future in the stars, yet you cannot see what lies at your feet! Perhaps this will teach you to pay attention to what is right in front of you, and let the future take care of itself."

Another villager added:
"What good is it to read the stars, when you cannot see what is here on the earth?"

From that day on, the astrologer learned an important lesson: Take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves.