Once upon a time, there was a young boy, and this young boy
was having his 10th birthday. His father thinking that it
was an important day for his young lad, said to him, 'You
can have anything that you want for your birthday'.
The boy thought and thought. Finally, he said to his pop,
"Dad, I want a green golf ball." The man was surprised a
bit, but decided to humour his son. And so, the boy
received 1 green golf ball for his 10th birthday.
On this boy's 13th birthday, when he hit his teens, the
father once again walked up to the boy, and told him what he
had before. The boy thought. And thought. Finally, he said,
"Dad, I want 10 green golf balls." Now, the father was
slightly curious about this, and he almost asked his son
why. But then he decided that it was just youthfulness, and
left it at that.
Upon graduating from High School, the boy was once again
given that same offer by his father. He thought and thought
and thought. Finally, he went up to his old man and said,
"Dad, I want 100 green golf balls." Now, the father was very
curious about this, and asked his son, finally, why he
wanted the balls. The boy just said, "Dad! It's a secret!"
The father backed down, and got the boy his balls.
When the boy graduated from college, his father once again
offered him anything he wanted. Once again, the boy thought.
Once again, the boy walked up to his father. He said, "Dad,
I want 1000 green golf balls." The father decided that the
boy knew how to live his life. But still he asked, "Why,
son? Why do you want these green golf balls?" And once
again, the boy said,"It's a secret, Dad!"
And then came the war. And the boy volunteered himself for
his country. And when he came back in one piece, his father
said, "Son, I will get you anything that you want!" And the
boy thought. And thought. And he said, "Dad, I want 10,000
green golfballs." And the father could not hold back his
question any longer. "Why? Why, son? Why do you need these
green golf balls?" And the son looked at him, and he
said,"Dad, now, I told you that it was a secret. Please
don't make me tell you." And the father backed off.
The boy got married. His father walked up to him, and
offered him anything he would want on this joyous occasion.
The boy thought and thought and thought. And thought. And,
finally, he said,"Dad... I want 100,000 green golf balls..."
And the father, keeping calm, asked why. Why the boy wanted
so many green golf balls. And all the boy could do was look
at his father, and say,"It's a secret." And the father kept
silent.
Then, tragedy struck. There was a car accident. The boy was
mortally injured. And the father went to see the son in his
final hour. And he asked his son if there was anything he
could get him. And the son whispered,"Father... Please get
me 1,000,000 green golf balls..." And the father almost
wept. He said,"Son, please tell me why you want these green
golf balls..." And the son looked at his father, and he
said, "Alright, dad..."
And then he died.
