The Lesson of
the Slave
Long ago, when slavery still existed in Brazil, an old
black man, with snowy hair called Bastian used to live
on a large and beautiful farm.
The owner of the land, the master, was bad and arrogant.
For nothing, he whipped the slaves; and if his orders
were not obeyed or if they tried to escape, they were
placed in the trunk, chained without food or drink for
many days. Because of this, the slaves were rebel and
did not like the boss.
But Bastian was different. With a good and generous
heart, he was always happy about life and trying to help
everyone. The farmer's daughter, a sweet and gentle
girl, had grown fond of the old Bastian and spent time
with the slave, listening to his stories.
One day, one of the slaves, no longer bearing the
ill-treatment, tried to run away. He was found by the
foreman and imprisoned, he was chained to the trunk. The
son of the fugitive slave, a boy of only five years old,
seeing his father bound, came forward in tears, clinging
to his legs.
Annoyed at the boy's cries, the master asked him to be
tossed into the woods to stop his crying. The farmer did
not realize, however, that his little Anna, who had been
so sorry for the little boy's fate, had also gone into
the woods to keep him company.
When he asked for the girl, who was the light of his
eyes, and he missed her, they told him that she went
looking for the little slave. Frightened, the boss
called some men and went after her. But the old Bastian,
who realized what was happening, had already gone ahead
and looked for the children.
When the farmer and his men arrived, they found him with
a poisonous snake dead in his hands, and the children
cuddled securely, curled up behind a fallen log,
trembling with fear. Bastion had killed the snake, but
it had been stung by it.
Seeing what had happened, the master did not know how to
express his gratitude, because it was evident that the
slave had defended the children with his own life.
Embracing the very frightened little girl, the boss
asked, for the first time denoting kindness in dealing
with a slave:
- What do you want, Bastian, for the bravery you have
shown saving my daughter's life? Whatever you ask, you
will be granted.
And the old slave, in whose organism the venom of the
snake was already taking effect, replied, with moist
eyes of weeping, very moved:
- I did not save only your daughter, sir, but the life
of a little slave too, for all life comes from God and
is equally important. Since it allows me to utter a
desire, I would ask that all creatures be treated as
human beings, without distinction, since we are all
children of our Heavenly Father.
And perceiving the look of astonishment of the master
before his concepts, which he had not thought possible
to find it in an old slave, Bastian concluded:
- That I learned from Jesus Christ.
In the face of those words which represented a lesson to
him, since the slave might have avenged him in the
person of his daughter Ana, and had not done so, the
farmer bowed his head in shame and agreed:
- It is true. You're right Bastian. Be as you wish. From
now on I promise you that the slaves will be treated
well, with all due respect to human beings.
From that day on, the farmer greatly improved the lives
of the slaves, giving them dignified living conditions,
improving their homes and providing them with healthier
food.
With the improvement in living conditions, he realized
that the trunk was no longer necessary, as the slaves
began to like him and the service on the farm, and
everything they did was willingly and with a smile on
their lips.
A few years later, with the growth of the abolitionist
idea in Brazil, this farmer was among the first to
liberate his slaves, transforming them into salaried
workers. And the farmer never forgot the old slave
Bastian who, in his simplicity, had given such an
example of love so great that he had changed his life
and the life of all who lived on that property.
TIA CÉLIA
Translation: