The Golden Goose - Fable retold (Nature vs Man's Greed)

 We’ve all heard the fable of the goose that laid golden eggs. The farmer, blinded by greed, killed the goose hoping to harvest all the gold at once—only to end up with a dead goose. It’s a story we laugh at, ridiculing the farmer’s foolishness. But the truth is, greed has always been a part of human nature. Sometimes, greed driven actions lead to nothing but disaster.

India, with its rich tapestry of climates and landscapes, has always been a country of breathtaking beauty. Nestled in the north of the country, the Himalayan states—Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand—have long held a special place in the hearts of travelers. They have always offered serenity, peace and unmatched beauty to their visitors.

As India’s economy surged in the late twentieth century, so did its citizens’ appetite for travel. The mountains, once quiet and pristine, began to buzz with tourists. Locals and businesses saw an opportunity—a golden goose in the form of tourism.

With rising tourism demand came rapid development. Hotels sprang up to accommodate the increasing tourist influx. Markets and eateries mushroomed to cater to every taste. Valleys were filled with concrete, and single-lane roads lazily wrapping around the hills were ballooned into six-lane highways by shaving and chopping the same hills they once embraced. The hills, once defined by their serenity and peace, began to resemble the cities from downhill.

The transformation was swift—and brutal. Forests, the lungs of the Earth, were sacrificed for profit. The crisp mountain air, once scented with pine, was soon overpowered by the acrid fumes of diesel and air conditioners. The landscapes was no longer a sanctuaries, they became the concrete jungles grown over the hills.

As the natural charm faded, a new motivation emerged: social media validation. Pictures, reels, and hashtags took center stage. The need to showcase the perfect vacation became another layer of greed—one that fed into the cycle of overbuilding, over visiting, and overconsumption.

Nature, strained and suffocated, and eventually retaliated.

The delicate balance of the ecosystem started to unravel. With fewer trees and disrupted wind patterns, clouds struggled to condense and release rain. Until one day, they burst—dumping millions of gallons of water in a catastrophic deluge. Landslides followed, buildings crumbled, lives were lost.

This time, the goose didn’t die. It struck back. 

The damage to humanity was devastating. But the damage to nature was deliberate—and manmade. If we are to heal, we must first acknowledge our role in the destruction.

Healing is not difficult, let us just:

• Plant trees—in your backyard, in your community, anywhere you can.
• Stop polluting rivers, forests, or anywhere.
• Create mini forests in parks and open spaces.
• Build harmony with nature, And let Nature be the giver as it always has been.

Nature has always been generous. It will offer golden gifts again—if we nurture it or just stop harming it anymore. So today, make a promise. Plant a tree. Care for it. Let it grow. And in doing so, let us grow too.

This is not just a blog. It’s a prayer—for healing, for hope, for harmony.