A man is standing at the fair selling vases.
A woman approaches and browses the merchandise. Some pieces are plain, while others are intricately decorated. The woman asks about the price of the vases. To her surprise, she finds out they all cost the same.
– How can an embellished vase cost the same as a plain one? – she asks. – Why ask for the same price for work that required more time?
– I am an artist – the seller replies. – I can ask for money for the vase I made, but not for its beauty. Beauty is free.
From the book Maktub, Paulo Coelho
Selected by: Suzana Mateša