The Most Precious Gift

Once upon a time there was a man who had three sons. One day he called them over and said, “I’ll give you a bag of coins each. Go around the world and find the most precious fruit. I’ll give half of my fortune to whoever brings it to me.” 

The three brothers took their bags and set off in three different directions around the world to search for the most precious fruit. 

Three years had passed when they returned home.

“Well“, the father said to his firstborn son, ”Have you brought me the most precious fruit?” 

And he replied, “The most precious fruit must be the sweetest one. That’s why I bought you a cluster of ripe grapes. Of all the fruits on Earth, grape is the sweetest fruit”.

The father thought for a bit and said, “You’ve done well. You have brought me a nice fruit.” Then he faced his middle child and asked him what his fruit of choice was. 

“Father, I think the most precious fruit is the rarest one, so I went to the Southern countries and bought the rarest fruits that don’t grow in ours. I brought you coconuts, oranges, dates, bananas… Here they are, choose whichever you like!” ,said the younger son.

The father, once again, replied approvingly. Finally, he turned to his youngest, “What about you, son? What have you brought me? Why did you come home empty-handed?”

“It’s true, father, that I’ve come home empty-handed… But I didn’t spend the money you gave me on expensive fruits. Instead, I enrolled in a school and the teachers there taught me for three years. The fruits I picked cannot be seen, for they are in my heart and mind. I think, father, these are precious fruits as well…”

Upon hearing these words the father smiled and said,” You have brought me the most precious gift, son! You deserve the prize because there is no fruit, more precious, than what knowledge gives to a man”.

Tags: three brothers; father; fruit; knowledge.