Once upon a time, there was a rich man named Mr. Thong. He had treasures galore, piles of gold, and much, much more. He lived in a mansion grand, with servants all ready to lend a hand.

But despite his riches, Mr. Thong never smiled. He was worried and fretted, his fear growing wild.

One day, while admiring his treasures bright, he found a pearl that glowed with light. It sparkled like a star, oh so grand! 'This pearl,' he thought, 'is the finest in all the land.'

He wanted to keep it safe from others' reach, so he hid it in a can of rice, out of sight and out of speech. 'No one will find my pearl in here,' he said with a grin from ear to ear.

Time passed, and one fine sunny day, a servant went to cook some rice without delay. What did they find when they opened the can? A pearl gleaming bright, shining grand!

The servant gasped and ran to Mr. Thong, 'Look what I found, is this where it belongs?' Mr. Thong's face turned red like a cherry, for he knew now someone found his secret, so merry.

'Who could put my pearl in a can of rice!' he yelled, eyes wide open in disbelief and surprise.

The servants murmured, they scratched their heads, 'We didn't put it in the rice,' they said.

Mr. Thong was puzzled, he felt quite silly, hiding a pearl in rice? Oh really!

'From now on, I'll keep my treasures with care, no more hiding them in places rare!' He laughed at himself, feeling light as air, and finally, for once, he didn’t have a care.

He learned a lesson about greed and wealth—it's better to have joy, laughter, and health. And so, Mr. Thong's days were filled with cheer, the happiest he'd ever been in many a year.

So remember this tale when treasures you hold dear, hiding them in rice is not the answer here. Share your joy with friends far and near, for true happiness comes when hearts are sincere.