14
PARABLES
“Here I am,” a cheerful old woman appeared in the doorway carrying
steaming pies on a platter. “I was held up with the pies.”
She placed the pies on the table, and the cheerful old woman made a
funny curtsey before the brothers. She walked up close to the younger, her
spouse, and said in a half-whisper, but the older brother heard the whisper.
“And now, you men, forgive me, I am going now, I have to lie down.”
“What’s the matter with you, silly, all of a sudden deciding to rest? We
have a dear guest, my own brother, while you . . .”
“It’s not me, my head is spinning, and I feel a little nauseated.”
“And why on earth would you be having any trouble here?”
“Maybe you are to blame. We must be having a child again,” the old wo-
man said with a laugh, running away.
“Forgive me, my brother,” the younger brother apologized in embarrass-
ment to the older. “She doesn’t know the value of wisdom. She was always
cheerful, and in her old age you see she remains a cheery sort.”
The thoughtful wise man paused a little longer. The sound of children’s
voices interrupted his reverie. The wise man heard them and said, “Each
person must strive to know great wisdom. How to raise children who are
happy and just.”
“Know, wise brother, I thirst to make my children and grandchildren
happy. Here you see them coming in, my noisy grandkids.”
Two boys no older than six and a little girl of about four were standing in
the doorway arguing.
Trying to get them to settle down, the younger brother told them hur-
riedly, “Tell me quickly what has happened to you, you noisy children, and
don’t keep us from our conversation.”
“Oh!” the smaller boy exclaimed. “One grandfather’s turned into two.
Which is ours and which isn’t? How can we tell?”
“Here’s our dear granddad, isn’t it clear?”
And the little granddaughter ran up to the younger of the brothers,
pressed her cheek to his leg, ruffled his beard, and prattled, “Granddad, dear
granddad, I alone rushed to you to show you how I’ve learned to dance, and
my brothers tagged along. One wants to draw with you. See? He brought his
