Folktales of the Jews, Volume 1: Tales from the Sephardic Dispersion

32. The Rich Man and His Two Sons (IFA 4441)

32 The Rich Man and His Two Sons T O L D B Y G A D A B B A D I T O R E ’ U V E N N A ‘A N A H Once there was a very rich man, honored and well respected among his people. He had two sons. The sons grew up, but they still lived with their father, not working for a living. One fine day, the father summoned his sons. “My dear sons,” he told them, “even though I am rich enough to provide for you and even for your children after you, work is essential for a man: it amuses him and satisfies him and keeps him from being bored. For idleness is the mother of all sins. That is why I am giving each of you this sum of money. Go out and engage in whatever business you wish. I will cover all your expenses. The money I am giving you now, and all your profits, will remain untouched, so that the principal increases from day to day. There is one thing I require of you, however: Once a week you must give me a report of what you did and how much you made.” The sons respected their father and were always careful to comply with his wishes. This time, too, they went around the city looking for some business that would allow them to make a report each week, as their father had asked. They found nothing better suited to this than dealing in fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. This way they would be able to provide their father with a weekly reckoning. And so it was. The first week he called in his elder son and asked, “What did you do?” The son told his father about his business and that his profit came to a certain sum. At once, the father gave his son that very amount over again. He did the same with the younger son. In this fashion, they reported to their father every week. One week, they purchased their inventory of vegetables for a fair price; but after they had already bought [their produce], other suppliers brought large quantities of vegetables to the market, and the price fell. As a result, they lost a lot of money. On Friday, as was the custom, their father asked his elder son about his dealings during that week. The son told him everything that had happened and that he had lost a certain amount. 224 32 / The Rich Man and His Two Sons  225  At once, his father asked him to hand over the amount he had lost. Without a murmur, the son gave his father the required sum. Then it was the second son’s turn. “And what did you do this week?” his father asked. “This week was not as good as last week,” replied the son, but said no more. “How much did you make last week?” asked the father. “I made such and such an amount.” At once, the father gave his son the amount of his profit for the previous week. This interchange took place in the presence of the elder son, who was unable to restrain himself. “But Father, he lost just as much as I did! Yet you gave him money and took money from me. I don’t understand this at all.” “You’re right,” said the father. “Your brother did not say in so many words that he had lost. He merely hinted, stating that he did better last week.You must learn never to open your mouth to give an unfavorable report , to say that you lost or that things weren’t so good, and the like. Always open your mouth with a good report and good things will come to you. “You see,” he continued, “this world is like a mirror. Laugh, and it will laugh with you. Cry to it, and it will cry back at you. If you are always cheerful, everyone around you will be cheerful too.” COMMENTARY FOR TALE 32 (IFA 4441) Told by Gad Abbadi from Turkey to Re’uven Na‘anah in April 1965 in Jerusalem. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This tale lacks the magic objects and the extraordinary skills associated with the widely known story The Four Skillful Brothers. However, the two stories relate a contest between siblings as a pedagogical tool...