13
TWO BROTHERS
the hillock, accept the gifts of those who met them, and hold wise discus-
sions. He followed his younger brother into the house. The majestic and
gray-haired wise man sat down at the table in the chamber wearily. The
younger brother began washing his feet with warm water and listening to the
speeches of his brother and wise man.
“I have done my duty,” the wise man told him. “I have learned the teach-
ings of the great wise men and set forth my own teaching. I will not stay
long in the house, for now teaching others is my lot. But since I promised to
bring wisdom to our house, I will spend a day with you keeping this promise.
In that time, I will tell you the wisest truths, my younger brother. Here is the
first. All people must live in a beautiful garden.”
Drying his feet with a clean, beautifully embroidered towel, the younger
bustled about, trying to please the older, and he said to him, “Taste. On the
table before you are fruits from our garden. I gathered the best of them for
you.”
The wise man ate all kinds of beautiful fruits thoughtfully and continued.
“It is essential that every person living on earth himself cultivate an an-
cestral tree. When he dies, that tree will remain as a good memory for his
descendants. It will clean the air his descendants breathe. We must all
breathe good air.”
The younger brother rushed and bustled about and said. “Forgive me, my
wise brother, I forgot to open the window so that you could breathe fresh
air.” He pulled back the curtain, opened the window, and continued. “Here,
breathe the air of our two cedars. I planted them the year you left. I dug one
hole for a sapling with my own shovel, and for the second hole I dug with
the shovel you played with when we were children.”
The wise man gazed thoughtfully at the trees and then continued.
“Love is a great emotion. Not everyone is given to live his life with love.
There is a great wisdom: each person must strive for love every day.”
“Oh, how wise you are, my older brother!” the younger exclaimed. “You
have learned great wisdom, and I have lost my head before you. Forgive me,
I have not even introduced you to my wife.” And he shouted, turning toward
the door: “Old woman, where are you, my helpmeet?”
