The parable of good and bad deeds

Friends visit a small factory and encounter a snake

Waking up early in the morning, the friends flew to the small factory on Sunny Street. There, they were greeted with kindness and smiles, and everyone told and showed them everything. They were given a list of tasks and deeds, as well as how many bricks were sold to the buyer and how many to the seller. After saying goodbye, the friends left the

factory, but suddenly a big and scary snake crawled out of the bushes and said to them:

— My dear and beloved children, did you like the factory? — he hissed.

— Yes, everything is good, — they replied, frightened.

— And did you like the prices? — the snake continued, circling and coiling around the friends.

— Yes, — said Mickey, but Oscar interrupted him:

— It's not enough, not nearly enough! What's the point of only giving two or three bricks for a deed, and the reward for the seller is nothing!

— You're right, it's nothing, — the satisfied snake slowly hissed, — but I know where they give much more bricks to the sellers, my dear children…

— Where? — Oscar eagerly and interestedly asked.

— I will show you and tell you everything, — the snake hissed, — Follow me, my children! — and they flew to another street with a scary name, Cave Street. There was a cave in the ground, and they had to go down somewhere far. Mickey was scared:

— It's wet and cold down there! I'm afraid, and Grandpa didn't tell us anything about this place, it's some kind of bad!

— Don't be afraid! Everything will be okay, — said Oscar, and together with the snake, they flew down into the cave.

Mickey, frightened, didn't fly with them and instead waited outside, basking in the sun. As it turned out, they weren't the only guests here. Many flew into the cave and flew out, and the stream of visitors was constant, unlike the factory on Sun Street. But it was somewhat gloomy, and there was no joy around.

Soon Oscar returned, cold but satisfied, with a huge bag of gifts, jars of preserves, and dried fruits sticking out of his pockets.

— Now this is what I call service! They fed us, watered us, and gave us stuff to take with us, and the prices are just amazing! — Oscar exclaimed, overcome with emotion, — hooray, I found what I was looking for! Listen to this, I'm reading it: «for the deed of 'not forgiving an offense», they give 100 bricks to the performer, and as a seller, I'll get 50 bricks. I'm reading further — «for the deed of 'protest and impatience», 50 bricks, and I'll get 25!

— So many bricks? — Mickey was surprised, — for what? I don't like the sound of this business.

— What difference does it make what kind of business it is? I'm reading further, — and Oscar continued to read the list of deeds and actions from the cave, — for the deed of «disobeying adults» — 100 bricks, and I'll get 50! «Gloating over someone else's misfortune»— 150 bricks! «Deception for the sake of a joke» — 150 bricks! There's such a huge list here, many times larger than what they gave us on Sun Street!!! I haven't even seen many of these deeds and actions at our fair! This is a gold mine! That's it, now I'm going to open my own shop at the fair and sell these deeds, and I'll become rich and famous!

Mickey had nothing to say to his friend. He looked at the list of deeds and actions and felt sickened. For many of these deeds and actions, he hadn't even read or heard of them before. His head began to ache and he decided that he needed to leave this cave as soon as possible.

— How can you sell things like this? — Mickey asked on his way back, — I sometimes see similar things being sold at our fair, but I wouldn't even think of doing such deeds and actions, let alone receiving bricks for them!

— So what? It's not me who will be doing these deeds and actions. I just sold them and got my bricks for it. What's so bad about that?! — Oscar snatched the paper from him and said that he wouldn't be flying to grandpa's.

— But how can you not go? — objected Mickey, — Grandpa still had a lot of interesting and useful things to tell us. Selling deeds is a difficult and responsible business. You'll only get into more trouble without grandpa's wise advice, — Mickey disapproved.

— I already know everything! I know what to do! — Oscar said proudly and quickly flew to the fair to open his shop of deeds and actions, eager to start trading. Mickey sadly watched his friend go and shouted that he would be happy to wait for him at grandpa's before flying back.