The story is the account of a Persian farmer.  This farmer owned a very large farm with orchards, grain fields and gardens. As the story goes, the farmer heard tales of the great value of diamonds.  He was told that with a diamond the size of his thumb he could purchase a country.  And, if he had a mine of diamonds, he could place his children upon thrones through the influence of their great wealth.  These tales so excited the farmer that he could hardly wait to sell his farm and search for diamonds himself.

 

So, he sold his farm and spent the rest of his life wandering the vast country side searching unsuccessfully for the gleaming gems which brought such high prices in the markets of the world.

 

Finally, in a fit of despondency, broke and desperate, he threw himself into the ocean and drowned.

 

Meanwhile, the man who had bought his farm, one day found a large and unusual stone in a stream that cut through the property.  The stone turned out to be a great diamond of enormous value. And he then discovered the farm was covered with them.  This farm was to become one of the Worlds richest diamond mines.

 

The first farmer literally owned acres of diamonds and did not recognize them when they were right under his feet