The parable of good and bad deeds

Excursion to the grandfathered house

Waking up and stretching, Mickey and Oscar peeked out the window. Everything around was singing and blooming. The sun was already shining brightly high above the horizon, filling the magical world with joy and warmth.

— Hello, Grandpa! — Mickey cheerfully shouted, seeing Grandpa flying towards his house.

— Good morning, little ones! I've already flown to the fair of life this morning, worked a bit, warmed up my body and soul, — Grandpa laughed.

— What interesting things did you do at the fair? — Oscar asked, rushing into the yard to do his morning exercises.

— I took on a serious task — «managing the construction of a house»! — Grandpa proudly replied.

— Now that's some warm-up! We're still far from that! We should first learn how to do the task 'hang a picture on the wall.' It's always something — a nail in the wrong wall or a blunt drill bit! — Oscar laughed.

— Indeed, my dear children, not every soul can handle management. It takes centuries of learning because you have to make the right decisions, delegate tasks properly, and make sure a chicken coop doesn't turn into a house! — Grandpa laughed and continued, — long, long ago, just like you, Oscar, I dreamed of building a marvelous castle for myself. So, I began to engage in the affairs of the fair of life, related to construction and furnishing of a home. That's how I learned and got involved in this fascinating endeavor. Let's fly, and I'll show you my grand mansion!

— Let's go! — Mickey joyfully shouted, and they followed Grandpa into his grand house.

It wasn't just a house, it was a true small palace! With light blue walls, majestic white columns, and beautiful capitals. The windows, arranged in straight rows, were crowned with elegant arches, emphasizing the harmony of lines and forms of the palace. The massive main door made of red wood, adorned with carved figurines, beckoned one to step inside the splendid building. Near the entrance stood sculptures of heroes from their fairy-tale world, as if they had come to life, and a beautiful fountain adorned with reliefs, paintings, and intricate stone carvings splashed nearby.

Mickey and Oscar flew alongside Grandpa through the spacious and well-maintained rooms of his grand mansion. Inside, it turned out to be even more spacious and magnificent than it appeared from the outside.

— Grandpa, it seems even bigger, more beautiful, and sturdier from the inside! — Oscar exclaimed in astonishment as he flew through the magnificent hall with a fireplace, admiring the paintings on the walls.

— Yes, Oscar, — Grandpa replied, — not everything can be seen, understood, and felt from the outside. Only by stepping inside the house of life can its beauty and grandeur fully unfold. Many souls in our magical world build their houses of life to appear dull from the outside, as a means of protection, while inside, everything is bright, intriguing, and warm. A soft couch provides comfort, and a wonderful fireplace warms a beloved guest with its heat. But there are castles that appear huge and beautiful on the outside, yet inside, they are empty and cold, with only the eerie howling of the wind throughout the damp halls…

— And I prefer to show off! The bigger and brighter on the outside, the better! — Oscar proudly declared and continued, — well, how else? If the house is big and beautiful, it means its owner is important and noble!

— He may indeed be important and noble, to his credit and praise, — Grandpa replied, — but he may also not be. Rain and storms will put everything in its place and answer the question of whether he is involved in good or bad deeds.

— Judging by the ruins of my castle, it's clear what kind of expert I am! — Oscar laughed and continued his journey through Grandpa's house.

There were no drafts or leaks on the beautiful walls of Grandpa's spacious rooms. It has stood for centuries, delighting its guests and enveloping them with warmth and coziness within its dependable and kind walls.

— Every brick of this house holds its own story, and there are hundreds, if not more, of good deeds behind them, — Grandpa explained.

— Tell us, Grandpa! — Oscar pleaded, — so that I know, and the snakes don't fool me, as they usually do, with their tricks and treats!

— Well, these walls of the spacious living room were particularly challenging for me, — Grandpa said thoughtfully and continued, — I was still learning to build, and the snakes were already swirling around me, twisting and offering their vile schemes at the fair of life. They would suggest «covering up flaws since no one would notice anyway», or «taking construction materials for oneself since no one would count them», or «doing things differently from the instructions to earn more». In short, my dear children, snakes were pushing their own agendas and rotten bricks from all sides, but I managed. After struggling with the holes in my house, I learned and soon received only good bricks for my deeds. I understood that even the slightest bad deed would leave a hole in the wall, and not a small one!

— Yes, Grandpa, experience and steadfastness are crucial in such serious matters, — Mickey agreed, — and please, tell us another story! — he requested.

— Ah, right here, — Grandpa continued, — when we entered the large and cozy guest bedroom, there was a massive hole after a heavy rain! In the middle of the night, the rotten bricks were washed away, and the guests were drenched by the rain! — Grandpa smiled as he reminisced, — Oh, it was quite embarrassing! That's how my own bad actions let down dear guests. It's funny, but my reputation was tarnished, quite literally, and it took a while for those important acquaintances of mine to visit me again.

— I understand you, — Oscar laughed, — I don't pay attention to them anymore! Well, let's find new acquaintances! Oscar said. But after our conversation and the new knowledge you shared with us, Grandpa, and the rule «do unto others as you would have them do unto you», I will think carefully whether it's worth bringing rotten bricks into my home and spoiling relationships with friends and guests.

— Yes, Oscar, think about it, — Grandpa replied and continued wisely, — many are invited, but few are chosen as true friends.

— And for what bad deed, Grandpa, did you receive rotten bricks? — Mickey asked.

— I pondered for a long time back then, — Grandpa thoughtfully replied, — I reviewed past deeds and actions and found a couple of questionable ones that those cursed snakes slipped in — «firing workers for their mistakes» and «cutting corners on expensive tools for work».

— What's wrong with that? — Oscar asked, — If they make mistakes and don't know how, let them go! We'll find new ones! And spending on expensive tools is just wasteful!

— And that's the whole story, — Grandpa said, — experience is needed in all matters to distinguish the good from the bad in each specific case, — Grandpa explained, — that's why we hire new workers, train them, and spend money if we have our own, almost like family, trained workers. We just need to pay them more attention and, after thoroughly understanding the problem, teach them better. And our rule, «Do unto others as you would have them do unto you», will also help us. Oscar, if something didn't work for you, would you want someone to teach you or dismiss you as incompetent?

— Of course, I would want to be educated! And I would want my deeds to be celebrated! — Oscar cheerfully replied.

— And I'm helping you, Oscar, — Grandpa continued, — I'm teaching you to build your reliable home of life instead of dismissing the problem with «figure it out yourself»! But the most important thing is that you also want to learn and grow. Then the learning process will be faster and easier.

— Thank you, Grandpa, for not abandoning me and rescuing me from the clutches of the snakes! — Oscar warmly embraced Grandpa and replied.

Our magical souls continued their tour of the house and entered a small green room with a tiny fireplace. This little room was filled from floor to ceiling with bookshelves, and the count of books was countless, just like in a library. Grandpa took out a jar of delicious raspberry jam from the cupboard and poured everyone a wonderful cup of tea. Enjoying the tasty treats and sipping tea, Grandpa continued telling about his house:

— Now, this small green room is more interesting. It's an important room for me, and I often spend time here with guests, reading books, — Grandpa began, — to build it, I took on the task at the fair of life, «helping with the construction of homes for the less fortunate and underprivileged».

— Do such people exist? Who are they? — Mickey asked.

— In our magical world, anything can happen. Perhaps these are souls that couldn't find themselves and their purpose at the fair of life. And some may be the result of constant devastation from rain and hurricanes, and the lack of understanding about why things turned out that way and what to do. Or maybe it's due to old age, when there is no longer the strength to fly to the fair and engage in deeds, and wisdom wasn't enough to gather the good eternal bricks for their life's home… This house will warm and restore them. It has helped many souls find the strength and knowledge to rebuild their sturdy and everlasting home of life.

— Oh, those snakes! They can drive any soul into poverty and ruin! It's good that there are people like you, Grandpa, who help in times of trouble and problems, — Oscar said, finishing his grandfather's tea and reclining on the soft, cozy couch in this small but kind green room.