The surprise of
what is found
Once a little shepherd walked through the fields
shepherding his sheep.
He was already tired and hungry when, on the green grass
and amidst the vegetation, he found a small leather bag.
He opened it and for his surprise: there were five
beautiful gold coins shining in the bottom of the bag!
He was euphoric! I could do many things with that money!
Picking up the gleaming coins in his hand, he still
thought they must belong to someone, and that one would
surely be desperate. The desire to keep the coins
although spoke louder and, calming his conscience, kept
the little treasure thinking, without much enthusiasm:
- If I meet the person who lost the coins, I'll give
them back. Otherwise, they will be mine by right,
because I have found them.
And so he thought, he spent the rest of the day making
plans for how he would use the treasure that had fallen
into his hands so unexpectedly.
At dusk, he led the sheep home, determined not to tell
his mother, afraid she would have him return the coins.
After all, there were not so many houses in the
vicinity, and certainly someone in the valley had lost
them.
When he got home he learned that his father had to take
a trip to close a very lucrative business.
Three days later his father came back. He was
disheartened and sad, all dirty and covered in dust. The
woman worried asked what had happened, and he replied:
- You cannot imagine what happened to me! After a long
journey I arrived at my destination. When I went to
close the business, however, I realized I had lost the
money that I had taken separately to pay the sheep. I
searched everywhere, rolled over my belongings, but
found nothing. I realized too late that the backpack I
brought had a hole in the bottom, and had, certainly,
dropped the purse with the money. But, how to find it?
Surely someone would have found his money and would
never see it which represented the economies of hard
work and dedication.
And the man sadly concluded:
- My resources were over, and I had to ask for public
charity. I had no place to shelter myself, nor what to
eat. Thank God, I got home here after a lot of
suffering. Although I lost everything I had, I have you
who are my treasure.
Saying it, he embraced his son and his wife, moved to
tears.
The young man, remembering the treasure he had, was
glad. After all, he could do something for his dear
father.
He ran to his room and came back with the small leather
purse containing the five coins and with a happy smile,
handed them to his father, saying:
- Take it my father. It's all yours!
The poor man, upon seeing the bag, recognized it and
asked in surprise:
- Where did you find it, my son?
- In the midst of the vegetation, when I shepherded the
sheep.
- It’s true! I wanted to buy some time and cut my way
through the countryside off the road. Oh, my son! Thank
God, you found it. The Lord is very good! But how did
you know it was mine?
With wide eyes the boy replied:
- I did not know, Dad. I could never suppose it belonged
to you. I thought it was somebody else!
|
The father
suddenly became
serious and
taking his arm
asked:
- What did you do, my son? Did you find this
treasure that someone had lost and stayed with
it, when it did not belong to you? As I was the
one who lost, it could be anyone else here in
the valley.
|
Did you not think of the desperation that the
owner of the coins would undoubtedly have and
the lack of them? |
- No, Father. I did not think of any of this. I’m sorry.
Only now I begin to realize how selfish and ambitious I
was.
The little shepherd regretted, lowered his head as tears
streamed down his face.
- Forgive me, dad. I know that I have done wrong and now
I understand the enormity of my fault.
The father stroked his son's head, saying:
- My son, we must respect what belongs to others, so
that others also respect what belongs to us. Jesus, our
Master, taught that we would be responsible for all our
acts and that we should do to others what we would like
them to do to us. Now think: If you had lost the coins,
what would you like the person did to you?
- I would be very happy if anyone who found it returned
the purse, with the coins, of course!
- Then, my son, so must you do to others.
The little shepherd thanked the lesson and promised
himself that he would never be selfish and ambitious
again.
TIA CÉLIA
Translation: