The Three Children Who Went To Work
1.
Once upon a time, in a vast and prosperous kingdom, there was a beautiful city spread out between the rolling hills to the east, and a big bay that led westward to the wide, wide ocean. In this city, there lived a family in a tiny little house on a quiet side street a mile or so from the bay. There were two parents and three children, and while they never had much money, their house was filled with love.
Now one day the oldest child went to his parents and said, "It is time for me to leave home. I am old enough to go out on my own."
His parents were sad to see him leave, but they knew he had grown up and it was time for him to leave. "Go out and lead a good life," they said to him.
So the oldest child went out into the world. He found a good job that paid very well, and he made lots and lots and lots of money. After a year and a day, he went out and bought a very expensive car, put on his most expensive suit of clothes, strapped on his solid gold wristwatch, and went home to visit his parents and his younger brother and sister.
When the oldest child arrived back home, his parents welcomed him with open arms. He pointed to his new car out the window. "It's a Whizzer XZ-7000," he said proudly.
"That's nice, dear," they told him.
"And look," he said, "I'm wearing an Italian suit, made by Karma Karmani."
"That's nice, dear," they told him.
"And look at my watch," he said, pulling down his sleeve to show them. "Solid gold. How about that?"
"That's nice, dear," they told him.
"Is that all you have to say?" he said. "Aren't you proud of me for making lots and lots and lots of money?"
"Of course we're proud of you, dear," his parents told him. "But having expensive things isn't really that important."
2.
Not too long after this, the middle child came to her parents and said, "It is time for me to leave home. I am old enough to go out on my own."
His parents were sad to see her leave, but knew it was time, and they bid her goodbye.
The middle child went out into the world and got a good job, but instead of spending all her money, she saved as much of it as she could. After a year and a day, she gathered together all her stock certificates and mutual fund reports, and went home to visit her parents and her younger brother.
When she arrived back home, her parents welcomed her with open arms. She spread her stock certificates and mutual fund reports on the old dining room table. "Look how much I have," she said proudly. "I live very simply and spend almost none of the money I make."
"That's nice, dear," one of her parents said to her. And the other parent said, "But why have you saved all this money?"
The middle child stammered and stuttered, and finally said, "I hadn't really thought about that."
"There's more to money than just having it," they said.
3.
Not too long after this, the youngest child came to his parents and said, "It is time for me to leave home. I am old enough to go out on my own."
His parents were sad to see him leave, but they knew it was time for him to leave.
The youngest child went out and found a job that didn't pay much, but it was a job where he did lots to help other people lead better lives. He lived as cheaply as possible, and put aside lots of money. And he also gave lots of his money away. He gave lots of money to charity so his money would help other people, and whenever he met a homeless person on the street, he always gave them money, too. He gave lots of money to his church, because he drew strength from his church and he knew his church depended on the people in the church for all the money they needed.
After a year and a day, he went home to visit his parents. His parents welcomed him with open arms. He told them about his job, and how much his job helped people lead better lives.
"That's nice, dear," they told him.
"And I try to save as much money as possible," he said.
"That's nice, dear," they told him.
"But then I give away ten percent of my income to my church, and lots of money to help other people," he said.
"That's nice, dear," they told him.
"Is that all you have to say?" he said. "I have a good job that helps other people. I have enough money to put food on the table and a roof over my head. And I give away money to my church and elsewhere, to make the world a better place. Aren't you proud of me?"
"Of course we're proud that you have a good job and that you save lots of money and that you give lots of money away," said one of his parents.
"Yes," said the other. "The money and the job are just ways you have of showing your love."
Suddenly the youngest child understood his parents a little better. They would accept him and love him no matter what. The money wasn't important. The job wasn't important. What was important was loving and accepting other people.
Copyright © 2005 Daniel Harper. All rights reserved.