Long ago in the granite mountains of Norway lived a hardworking stonecutter named Knut. Every day he carved massive blocks of stone from the cliffs using only a hammer and chisel. The sun burned his skin, his clothes were soaked with sweat, and his body ached from endless labor. Whenever exhaustion caught up with him, Knut could not help but complain about his difficult life and wonder why he had been given such a harsh fate.
.png "The Stone-Cutter (Stenhuggeren)")
One afternoon while resting, Knut saw a noble lord passing by on horseback. The man wore shining armor and was shaded by servants who treated him with great respect. Watching this scene filled Knut with jealousy. He imagined how wonderful life must be for someone who never had to work under the scorching sun. He wished he could be that powerful. A Mountain Fairy suddenly appeared and granted his wish, transforming him into a noble lord with a castle, servants, and wealth. For a brief moment, Knut felt that he had finally escaped hardship.
But the joy did not last. Summer arrived with intense heat, and even inside his grand castle, Knut felt suffocated. Outside the windows, he saw the sun burning the fields, drying rivers, and scorching the land. The heat was so strong that even a noble lord could not escape it. Knut realized that a title meant nothing if he still had to bow to the power of the sun, so he wished to become the sun itself.
His wish was granted. Knut became a blazing sun shining down on the world. He dried lakes, withered crops, and believed that no power could challenge him. For a while, he felt unstoppable. But then a huge dark cloud drifted across the sky and blocked all his light. No matter how brightly he tried to shine, the cloud remained solid and unmoving. If the cloud could overpower the sun, then surely the cloud was stronger, Knut thought, and he wished to become the cloud.
Knut transformed into a massive storm cloud filled with rain and thunder. He flooded valleys, toppled buildings, and let out storms that terrified everyone below. He felt powerful again. Yet when he tried to move forward, he was stopped by a giant granite cliff. The cliff stood firm despite all the rain and lightning he released. The storm that destroyed homes could not move the cliff by even a single inch, and Knut became convinced that the cliff must be the strongest force of all. He wished to become that unshakable mountain.
He became a towering granite cliff rising high into the sky. Wind, storms, and sunlight could no longer harm him. Knut felt invincible at last. But one morning he heard a familiar tapping sound near his base. A sharp pain ran through his stone body, and a small crack appeared. When he looked down, he saw a man with a hammer and chisel, slowly cutting a block of stone from the cliff.
It was the stonecutter.
At that moment Knut understood the truth. Even the strongest mountain could be shaped by the hands of a determined human being. Strength did not come from size, status, or power. It came from perseverance, skill, and the will to work steadily toward a goal. As this realization settled in, Knut transformed back into a stonecutter standing at the foot of the cliff.
This time he no longer complained about his life or envied the power of others. He held his hammer and chisel with pride. He finally understood that the greatest strength comes from within and that a person who works with purpose can shape the world around them. From that day forward, Knut worked with new confidence and fulfillment, knowing that he already possessed the most important power of all.