The Gift of Fire

Once upon a time, a monk, in his travels, found a precious stone worth a great deal of money. The monk kept it wrapped in a cloth in his traveling bag. One day, the monk met a traveler, and when he opened his bag to share the provisions, the traveler saw the jewel and asked the monk if he could have it. The monk readily gave it to him.
The traveler departed, overjoyed with the unexpected gift of the precious stone that would give him wealth and security for the rest of his life. A few days later, though, the traveler returned to the monk, gave him back the stone, and begged him: “I have come to ask you for something much more precious than this stone, give me what enabled you to give it to me.”

An Indian story quoted by Rev. Miles O’Brien Riley.