Henry and the Mountain of Gold

Story idea. An analogous story to demonstrate why in life we sometimes encounter adversity. Very Chekhovian. An older man (grandfather ?) relates to a child the story of Henry, who is presented in his father's will with the choice of inheriting a mountain of gold (along with certain undisclosed privations which he must undergo to do so) which will enrich him beyond his wildest dreams, or a fixed monthly payment from the estate for the rest of his natural life. A dreamer, Henry thinks of all the untold good he could effect in the world with an unlimited fortune.

He chooses the mountain. Immediately upon signing the document, the executor of the estate (a stern, grim man) has Henry clapped in chains and shipped to a gulag where he is forced to labor breaking rocks for a year. As he is supremely unfit and exercised only in matters of the mind, this is naturally extremely difficult for him. For another year following, he is forced to operate the heavy machinery which processes the rocks. Finally, he is released.

Now brawny and strong, he finally learns that the aim of the work in the gulag has been to expose the mountain of gold (it was buried deep in the earth).