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The Father and His Sons

A dying Father called his Sons to his bedside in order to give counsel. He said: "There is a great treasure hidden in one of the vineyards." Shortly after that he died. The Sons, upon his death, took up implements and carefully dug over every part of the land. They found no material treasure, but the vines yielded an extraordinary crop because of the care.

Townsend version

A Father, being on the point of death, wished to be sure that his sons would give the same attention to his farm as he himself had given it. He called them to his bedside and said, "My Sons, there is a great treasure hid in one of my vineyards." The Sons, after his death, took their spades and mattocks and carefully dug over every portion of their land. They found no treasure, but the vines repaid their labor by an extraordinary and superabundant crop.

L'Estrange version

A countryman that liv'd handsomly in the world himself upon his honest labour and industry, was desirous his sons should do so after him; and being now upon his death-bed: My dear children (says he) I reckon my self bound to tell you before I depart, that there is a considerable treasure hid in my vineyard. Wherefore pray be sure to dig, and search narrowly for't when I am gone. The father dyes, and the sons fall immediately to work upon the vineyard. They turn'd it up over and over, and not one penny of mony to be found there; but the profit of the next vintage expounded the riddle.

Moral

Good councell is the best legacy a father can leave to a child, and it is still the better, when it is so wrapt up, as to beget a curiosity as well as an inclination to follow it.

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