Many years ago a young couple with three sons bought a house in the country. The previous owner, who spoke only French, said something that made the couple think that gold could be found on the property. They told their sons, who began digging up the ground looking for wealth.

After a few weeks much of the ground around the house had been turned over, and with no gold found, the father decided to plant some seeds: corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and onions. With his sons’ help, he grew so much that he went on to open a roadside stand to sell the extra produce for a little additional money.

The boys kept digging, turning over the soil as they went deeper and deeper, allowing the couple to plant even more crops.

This went on for several years. The vegetable stand prospered, and soon the couple had enough money to send all of their children to university.

One day the original owner came by for a visit. He’d learned English, and he asked the couple how they’d gotten started in the vegetable business. When the husband reminded him about the gold, the first owner laughed.

“I didn’t say there was gold in the soil,” he explained. “I said the soil was very rich.”

And as things turned out, it was.

It's interesting how a misunderstanding can lead to good fortune, when hard work enters the equation.