Once upon a time there lived a poor tailor, Quarterman, who lived in a small house in the countryside. He was an honest and hardworking man and he made his living by stitching and mending clothes for the people in the village.

Quarterman used to work from dawn to dusk, but he never complained as he thought of it as his duty to provide for his family. His wife, Melinda, was a lovely and kind-hearted woman, and she often helped him with his work.

One day, Quarterman received an invitation from the mayor of the town to attend the annual festival in the city. It was a big event for which people from all over the country gathered to celebrate the coming of spring. Quarterman was very excited and asked Melinda to make him a new suit for the occasion.

Unfortunately, it took longer than expected to make the suit, and it was almost time for Quarterman to leave for the festival. With no time to spare, he decided to go as he was, wearing his old and tattered clothes.

When he arrived at the festival, the mayor noticed his old clothes and frowned upon his appearance. Quarterman was embarrassed and wished he had taken more time to prepare.

The mayor was determined to teach the tailor a lesson and asked him to leave the festival immediately. Quarterman was so ashamed and embarrassed that he left without uttering a word.

On his way back, Quarterman passed by a poor old woman who was begging for money. She was so frail and weak that Quarterman paused and asked her what she needed. The old woman told him that she needed a new dress for the winter, and Quarterman offered to make her one.

The next day, Quarterman returned to the old woman and presented her with a beautiful new dress. She was overjoyed and thanked him from the bottom of her heart.

When Quarterman returned home with the old woman’s dress, he found his wife waiting for him with his new suit. He thanked her for her hard work, and she told him that she had made it with love and care.

That night Quarterman slept peacefully, feeling content with the way he had spend his day, helping the old woman instead of attending the festival.

The moral of the story is that there is no greater accomplishment than helping those in need. No matter how hard it can be at times, kindness and compassion will always be rewarded.