The Rug
That afternoon, Jonas didin’t want to do his homework.
If he made an effort himself, it would soon be done. But
he did it slowly, everything was distracting. He wrote
in an ugly script, erred, and complained about having to
erase and redo.
His mother, noting his difficulty, tried to help:
- Come on, son! If you dedicate yourself and pay
attention, your letter will be much better and you will
be able to do it faster and without errors. By doing the
right thing, you will learn better.
But the son, nervous and grudging, complained:
- What for so much work? I do not like studying these
things! It would be much better if there was no school!
The mother, then, to calm the situation, proposed a
pause and then called Jonas to talk:
- Son, I know you see no reason to study, but I want to
tell you a story:
"There was once a young man named Joseph, who lived with
his parents in a very simple house in the country. They
had a small plantation and raised some animals. They
lived without luxury, but they had what they needed.
However, Joseph wanted to get out of there. He wanted to
meet other places, other people. He started thinking
about forming his family. He also wanted to help his
parents when they could not work.
So he decided to leave in search of his dreams. His
journey would be on foot, long and tiring. He would feed
himself on fruit and leaves that he could find along the
way. His parents supported him despite some concern.
His mother, at the time of farewell, wrapped a small rug
and gave it to him to take. The boy did not like the
idea. He argued that it would have no use, besides being
an extra weight to carry. But the mother insisted,
saying:
- My son, we cannot let you leave for such an adventure
without recourse. We do not know what awaits you. I want
you to take this rug.
The son, even without agreeing, accepted it. He said
goodbye and left, determined to get rid of the burden
when he get tired of carrying it.
In fact, after some time of walking, he left the carpet
along the road and continued his journey. However, the
path he walked on became narrow, enclosed by thorny
plants that began to bruise him and even tear his
clothes.
Joseph stopped. He remembered the rug and came back to
pick it up. It was not large, but it served as a sturdy
cape, and the young man was able to cross the hawthorn
without hurting himself.
At the end of that day, very tired already, the boy
chose a place to sleep. He spread the carpet and laid on
it. It was not a soft bed, but it protected his face
from dust and weeds. He could sleep and rest all night.
Joseph walked for many days. He was not thinking of
getting rid of the rug. On the contrary, he realized how
useful it was.
He used it when he had to sleep on stony ground. He
protected himself with it from a swarm of bees. He
curled up on the rug on cold nights. He protected
himself with it from the strong sun and the storm.
One day, Joseph came to a city. That was where their
dreams would come true. He passed the shop of Mister
Tiao when he realized that there was fire inside.
Without delay, he rolled up the rug and slammed the fire
until it went out, managing to avoid the fire.
Mister Tiao was so grateful that he gave him room to
live and work in his workshop.
Later he also gave him the hand of his daughter, Joanna,
in marriage. Joseph had a family and also sought his
parents to live near him. And they were all happy
forever! "
The mother finished the story, and when she started to
explain it, Jonas, who was very smart, got up, took his
notebook and said conformed:
- Okay, I got it! School is my "rug," isn’t it?
His mother smiled in satisfaction, kissed Jonas, and let
him finish his task.
Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com
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