FATHER'S BURIED TREASURE

The legend has it that there lived a family with 12 sons. The father was a carpenter. Among the children, the oldest son, unlike his other eleven younger brothers, was the only one who did not concentrate on learning the carpentry. He sometimes even stayed out for a couple of days.

5 years later, their father passed away. He left nothing for all his sons, but 12 pieces of logs. One night, their mother had a bizarre dream. She called on all her children to gather the next morning, and told them about what she had dream of, saying, 'Last night, I had a very strange dream.' The children turned out sad out of the blue for they missed their father dearly. The youngest child while holding his mother said with tears, 'I miss Dad so much.'

The oldest son not only took his younger brothers for granted, but sat alone and said to his mother, Mum! Please tell me about what you dream of.' Their mother continued, 'Your Dad has never forgot you all. He's always taken care of you all the time.'

'Your Dad left some buried treasure for you,' their mother added. The oldest son once hearing so moved closer to his mother and said, 'Mum! Where did Dad keep the treasure?' The mother told, 'He wants you to carry each piece of the logs he left for you and go straight towards the west till you see a creek where you'll find the treasure.'

The oldest son replied, 'Why do we need to carry along such a heavy log? Mum! Please let me collect the treasure on my own. When I get it, I will share it equally among my younger brothers.' Their mother objected to the idea and said, 'No, You must honor your father's advice in order to collect the treasure.'

The oldest son went and got the lightest piece of the logs very quickly. Then the 12 sons with a piece of log each headed straight towards the west in a parade led by the oldest son as he carried the lightest one.

Arriving halfway of the journey, they took rest for a short while outof tiredness in their shoulders. The
oldest son thought, 'I must go ahead farther while all my other brothers were at rest in order to cut off some parts of my log to make it lighter.'

Immediately, he sneaked off and cut off a piece of the log. And, they all advanced. The oldest son grumbled, 'Why cares to carry the log just to get the treasure ... ? '

The oldest son walked and sang merrily. The 12 sons looked ahead and saw a creek. At the other side of the stream, there stood a heap of gleaming earth. Without the log used as a bridge, one could not cross the creek. The oldest son used his log as a bridge to go to the other side of the creek, but he failed as it had become too short. His younger brothers crossed to the other side of the creek with the logs of their own.

It was then that the oldest son learnt the goal of his father; he knee-led down and said desperately, 'Dad! I am wrong. You always advised me to perform work patiently and do only good deeds, but I never follow your advice. From now on, I'll turn over a new leaf and take care of mum and my younger siblings-never letting them down.

- The END -