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Post
by:
heocon
member
ID 13610
Date: 09/07/2006
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The Old Father
Once upon a time there was an old man. He had four sons. They grew up, and the old man gave everthing he had to them. "I will live with my children the rest of my days," he thought.
The oldest son said, "We must give our father food and clothes. We must take care of him and make him happy."
At first the oldest son and his family took good care of the old man. After some time passed the son did not want to keep his old father in his house. He shouted at him. He stopped taking good care of him.
Life got very bad for the old father. He went to his second son. Life was no better there. Every time he ate, his son and his son's wife were angry. The old man went to the next son. He went to all four sons. Every son said, "We cannot keep you."
The old man didn't know where to go. The four sons decided to send their father to a school in the next village. "At school he will have a place to sit," they said. "And he can take somethind to eat in his knapsack." The old man cried. He did not want to go to school. He was too old.
His sons sent him away through the forest. On the way he met a rich man riding in a carriage. The rich man asked him, "Where are you going?" The old man cried and told him the sad story of his life.
The rich man felt sorry for the old man. He said, "Don't go to school. I have a plan." He filled a bag with something. The he said to the old man, "Take this bag home and tell your sons this story:
"My children, long ago I hid this bag of money in the forest. I did not touch it for many years. Now I found it again. I will keep it until I die. After I die, decide together who took care of me the best. That son will get the biggest part og this money. Now, will you be kind to your old father -- for money?"
The old man took the bag and returned to his children. He told them the story.
Then all four brothers were very kind to their father. They took good care of him. The old man was happy. But he never went anyplace without the bag.
Finally the old man died. The children gave him a beautiful funeral. Then they hurried to get the money in the bag. Because all of the sons were good to their father, they decided to divide the money into four equal parts.
They shook the bag. Something was inside. It was a treasure! The opened it.
The bag was full of glass! The couldn't believe their eyes. They looked carefully. There was no money in the bag, only glass.
The people of the village laughed at them. "You sent your father to school," they said. "He learned something there. He learned to fool you!"
The sons were very angry and sad. But what could they do? Their father was already dead and burried.
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