A Stray Sheaf of Rice Personally Removed from a Roadside

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said:

"All officials, Party members and other working people should cherish Kim Jong Il's patriotism deep in their hearts and turn out in the effort to achieve the prosperity of their country, their motherland."

All the agricultural workers in the DPRK, who are glorifying with feats every moment of the grand struggle for a fresh victory in socialist construction with sheer determination to defend socialism with increased grain production and repay the Party's trust and love with loyalty, are recollecting with deep emotion the sacred leadership of Chairman Kim Jong Il who implanted the noble spirit of patriotism in them.

One autumn day, several decades ago, Chairman Kim Jong Il visited a farm at the foot of Mt Kuwol.

He familiarized himself in detail with the farming conditions and the situation of the farm for a long time and taught the ways to increase crop yields.

It got dark and chilly so soon.

A farm official earnestly asked the Chairman to rest even for a moment, without worrying about the farming any longer, as the sun had already set.

But he continued his on-site inspection of the farm, saying that he did not mind the darkness as it was for the good of the farmers and he would look round the farm a little more as he had made the time for it.

The Chairman's car, which had been running along the farm road in the pouring sleet, suddenly stopped and he got out of it. He had noticed a sheaf of rice dropped out of transportation on the roadside soaked with sleet. In the fiercely driving sleet, he lifted it in his arms and walked towards a pile of rice-sheaves.

Only then did the accompanying officials realize why his car had stopped and they rushed towards him.

Reverently regarding the Chairman, who valued even a single sheaf of rice strayed on the roadside, the official reproached himself so bitterly and heartbreakingly.

In fact, though the official had valued even a single rice seed or a bundle of rice seedlings in the farming season, he would neglect some ears of rice dropped on the roadside after harvest, thinking farming of the year had totally finished.

With his eyes on the official, the Chairman kindly reasoned with him, saying that a single sheaf of rice may seem small but should be kept well as it is the precious property of the farm cultivated with great effort by the farmers throughout spring and summer.

The impressive story of that day is still implanting in all Korean people how ardent and sincere the Chairman's patriotism was.