The Three Councils
The Three Councils
A couple of young newlyweds were very poor and lived on favors in a small place.
interior. One day the husband made a proposal to his wife:
Dear, I am going to leave home and travel far away, to find a job.
and work until I am able to return and give you a more dignified life and
comfortable. I don’t know how long I will be away from home, I just ask for one thing: that
you wait for me and, while I am away, be faithful to me and I will be faithful to you.
Thus, the young man left. He walked many days on foot until he found a
farmer who was in need of someone to help on his farm. He
he offered to work, and was accepted. Therefore, he proposed a pact to the boss:
- Boss, I ask only one thing of you. Let me work for as long as
I want to and when I think I should leave, the Lord dismisses me from
my obligations. I don't want to receive my salary. I want you to place it
in the savings until the day I leave here. On the day I leave, the Lord gives me the
money and I follow my path.
Everything was agreed, that young man worked a lot, without vacations and without rest.
advice and if I give you advice, I won't give you the money. Go to your room,
think and then give me the answer. And I assure you that these three pieces of advice, in the end,
Here you have three breads, two are for you to eat during the trip and the third
it's for you to eat with your wife when you get home and remember: these
Advice, if followed, will have the power to save your life.
The boy followed his way back home, after twenty years away from
house and the wife he loved so much. He walked during the first day and found a
traveler who greeted him and asked him:
Where are you going?
I am going to a very distant place that is more than twenty days of walking away.
this road.
Boy, this path is very long, I know a shortcut that is ten times
you will arrive in a few days. Come with me, it's this way! Easy, easy, very
easy.
The boy was happy and began to follow the shortcut, when he remembered about the
First advice from your boss: "Never take shortcuts in your life, faster paths...
"short and unknown can cost you your life." Then he turned back and continued his.
path. The next day he discovers that it was an ambush, that man
was a terrible killer and that all the people who accepted his invitation
They died that night and the man concludes: the 1st advice saved my life!
The man continues the journey always thinking of his dear wife who still
having waited for a long 20 years, he soon arrives at a boarding house by the
road where he could stay.
2
In the early morning, he woke up startled by a chilling scream and a lot of noise.
He jumped up and headed to the door to leave. When he remembered the
second advice: "Never be curious about what is evil, for curiosity towards it
it can be deadly.
You know what, I'm going to sleep because my journey is very long.
He returned, lay down, and slept. At dawn, after having breakfast, the owner of
the host asked him if he had not heard a scream and he said yes
So why not see what it was, weren't you curious?
He said no. Then the host spoke to him:
You are the only one who comes out of here alive, a madman shouted during the night and when the
And the man concludes: "my god, the 2nd advice saved my life!"
The boy continued on his way, and after many days and nights of walking, already at
sunset, saw the smoke from his little house between the trees, walked and soon saw among the
bushes in the silhouette of his wife. The day was darkening, but he could see that
his wife was not alone. He walked a little further and saw that she had sat down on the
the neck of a man to whom I was caressing the hair and now and then
I kissed your forehead. The man seeing this vents: "my god, I asked for fidelity to
my wife, now what I see: a big guy hugging my woman. what I
"What am I going to do?" Seeing that scene, his heart filled with hate and bitterness and he
he decided to kill both without mercy. He quickened his steps when he remembered the
third advice: "Never make decisions in moments of hate and pain, for you
one can regret and it may be too late.
that night right there. At dawn, with a clear head, he said:
I will not kill my wife or her lover. I will go back to my boss.
and ask him to take me back. But before leaving, I want to tell the wife the
how much I loved her, but now that she already has someone else, I am leaving and I
I was faithful to her.
He went to the door of the house and knocked. Upon opening the door, the wife recognizes her husband.
and throws herself around his neck and hugs him affectionately. He tries to push her away, but does not
she can, such is her happiness. Then with tears he tells her:
3
I was faithful to you and you betrayed me.
How?
I asked you for fidelity, I arrive here, after 20 years and see you hugging with
this boy kissing your forehead.
And still astonished she says:
I did not betray you, I waited for you for those twenty years.
And that man you were caressing yesterday at dusk?
That man is our son. When you left, I found out that I was
pregnant and today he is twenty years old. He is anxious and was expecting his
return.
Then he met and embraced his son, telling them his entire story while the
wife was preparing the coffee.
And after kissing and quenching their longing, the three sit down, and the man says:
I worked for 20 years and asked my boss to save my salary during
these years. I asked him for my salary and he told me to make a choice, the
money or three pieces of advice. Since I knew he was very wise, I chose the three.
advice, but the three pieces of advice saved my life. He also gave me three
breads, I ate two on the trip and he ordered that when I got home I would eat together
with you this last bread. I gave up my salary, but I gained wisdom,
prudence and patience.
Nodding their heads, mother and son seem to understand the decision that the
husband took, happy to have him back in the family circle. They sat down to
take the coffee and eat the last bread. After the prayer of thanks and tears of
emotion he breaks the bread, and as he breaks it, impeccably arranged inside the bread,
they were the salaries of the twenty years worked.