Old Man
By Ian W.G. Sparkman
By Ian W.G. Sparkman
Once an old man lived in a small shack, he owned very little. He had a cow, and a half lame horse that he couldn't even use to ride. He lived far from town, though every day he would walk in to town to sell berries that he would pick along his way. One day, on his way home, he heard a voice coming from a large tree.
"Old man, come give me some of your berries."
The old man saw a pheasant sitting by the trunk of the tree.
"Little bird, did you ask me for my berries?" Asked the old man in a shocked voice.
"Why, yes. You see, I am so hungry that I can not get up to get my own. I will trade you a wish for but one berry." The pheasant pleaded.
The old man agreed and the pheasant told the old man to go home and think of what he would wish for. They agreed to meet the next day at the same tree.
So, when the old man got home, he looked about his meager property and thought all night on what he could possibly wish for. The next day, on his way to the tree, he meant a young woman crying and holding a little child.
"Why are you crying?" Asked the old man.
"My child has passed, I am carrying her to the undertaker."
The old man offered his condolences and continued on to the tree. A short while later he came upon a young man crying beside an overturned wagon.
"Why are you crying?" Asked the old man.
"Well, sir, I was on my way to sell my eggs. Now I won't have money to feed my family."
The old man gave the young man all of his money and continued on to the tree. Now, when he was almost at the tree, he came upon a little boy and girl both crying.
"Why are you crying?" Asked the old man.
"We have lost our families only cow in the river. Now we will have no way to afford milk."
The old man told them where he lived and told them to take his cow. When he finally got to the tree, he had decided on his wish.
"So, old man, what is your wish?" Asked the pheasant.
"I wish for all the people that I have meant along the way here to have their woes corrected and that they all live long and happy lives."
The pheasant granted his wish and the old man continued on to town to sell his berries.
"Old man, come give me some of your berries."
The old man saw a pheasant sitting by the trunk of the tree.
"Little bird, did you ask me for my berries?" Asked the old man in a shocked voice.
"Why, yes. You see, I am so hungry that I can not get up to get my own. I will trade you a wish for but one berry." The pheasant pleaded.
The old man agreed and the pheasant told the old man to go home and think of what he would wish for. They agreed to meet the next day at the same tree.
So, when the old man got home, he looked about his meager property and thought all night on what he could possibly wish for. The next day, on his way to the tree, he meant a young woman crying and holding a little child.
"Why are you crying?" Asked the old man.
"My child has passed, I am carrying her to the undertaker."
The old man offered his condolences and continued on to the tree. A short while later he came upon a young man crying beside an overturned wagon.
"Why are you crying?" Asked the old man.
"Well, sir, I was on my way to sell my eggs. Now I won't have money to feed my family."
The old man gave the young man all of his money and continued on to the tree. Now, when he was almost at the tree, he came upon a little boy and girl both crying.
"Why are you crying?" Asked the old man.
"We have lost our families only cow in the river. Now we will have no way to afford milk."
The old man told them where he lived and told them to take his cow. When he finally got to the tree, he had decided on his wish.
"So, old man, what is your wish?" Asked the pheasant.
"I wish for all the people that I have meant along the way here to have their woes corrected and that they all live long and happy lives."
The pheasant granted his wish and the old man continued on to town to sell his berries.
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