The Figs

This story took place in Tiveria, in the time of the Romans.

One day, the Roman Emperor took a stroll in Tiveria. As the Emperor was going down the street, he saw an old man with a white beard working in the fields.

The Emperor was very surprised to see such an old man working in the fields. He commanded his servant to summon the man to his carriage.

The man stopped working and approached the Emperor. The Emperor asked the man: “You look like a very old man. How old are you?”

“Well, Your Majesty, today is my one-hundredth birthday,” answered the man.

“What? Today is your one-hundredth birthday?” asked the Emperor. “Why then, are you working so hard planting trees? Do you think that you will live long enough to be able to eat from these trees?”

“Hopefully, Your Majesty, I will live to eat from these trees,” the old man answered. “Even if I will not live until then, my children and grandchildren will be able to eat from these trees.”

The Emperor then said: “If you live long enough to eat from your trees, please come to my palace. I would like to taste some of your fruit.”

“With G-d’s help, if I live long enough, I will come to your palace and share with you some of these figs that I am planting now,” said the old man.

Then, the old man went back to work and the king went on his way.

Many years passed…

Then, one day, a very old man came to the Emperor’s palace. The man was carrying a basket full of figs. The guards were very surprised to see such an old man at the palace.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” asked one of the guards.

“I am an old man from Tiveria and I have an invitation from the Emperor,” answered the man.

The guards were not sure if what the old man said was true. One of the guards went to the Emperor and asked him if he had invited this man.

The Emperor did not remember ever inviting him, but said: “Bring him in. I would like to see this old man.”

The guard went back to the palace gates, and escorted the man to the Emperor.

The Emperor asked the man: “Why are you here? I did not invite you! Don’t you know that no one is allowed to come here without an invitation?”

“Well, Your Majesty,” replied the old man, “I know that no one is allowed to come here without an invitation, but I have an invitation.

“Let me explain: Many years ago—when it was my one-hundredth birthday—I was working in the fields. You happened to be taking a stroll through the streets and you summoned me to your carriage.

“You told me that if I would live long enough to eat from the trees that I planted, I should come to the palace and bring you some of their fruit.

“Well,” the man concluded, “I am still alive and here are some of the figs from the trees that I had planted. Please take some.”

The Emperor then tasted some of the figs. He loved them! He was also very surprised that the old man was still alive! He ordered his servants to bring “The Golden Chair” for the old man.

The servants were surprised, because the golden chair was reserved for very special guests! “This old man must be very special,” they thought.

The servants did as the king had ordered. They brought the golden chair and the man sat down.

The Emperor then ordered: “Take the figs out of the basket and then fill the basket with gold!” The servants did what the Emperor ordered.

One of the officers didn’t like how the Emperor was giving honor to this man. He asked the Emperor: “Why are you giving so much honor to this simple old man?”

The Emperor answered: “If the king of the world gives this man so much honor, by giving him long life, I should give this man much honor too.”

The man, then left with a basket full of gold.

When the man came home, one of his neighbors found out how he got rich, and was very jealous of him. He decided: “Let me also take a basket of figs and give it to the Emperor. Then, in return I will receive a lot of gold!”

His wife told him: “Don’t take a basket! That old man was foolish enough to take a basket. You can take a big bag! A bag holds much more than a basket. That way we could get more money!”

So, the man’s neighbor took a big bag and filled it up with figs. It was so heavy. He thought to himself: “You know, my wife is right. I will get a lot of money if I bring this to the Emperor!”

The man then went to the palace and said to the guards: “I heard that the Emperor is taking figs and giving gold. Here are some figs. Now, could you please fill this bag with gold?”

One guard said: “I am going to go ask the Emperor if he does such a thing, because I never heard of this!”

So, the guard went to the Emperor and asked him: “There is someone outside that said that he heard that you take figs and give gold. Should I let him in?”

“No!” answered the Emperor angrily. “I don’t need his figs! Who would dare come here with such a request?

“Take the bag,” the Emperor commanded, “and put it down next to him. Then, whenever someone enters to or exits the palace, they should pick up a fig from the bag and throw it at him!

“Also, tell him that he cannot leave until the end of the day! That will be a good punishment for such a man,” concluded the Emperor.

The guard then went outside and told the man not to move until nighttime. He then put down the bag right next to the man.

“Hey! Give me my bag of gold!” shouted the man.

“What bag of gold?” asked the guard. The man answered: “Don’t you see a bag of gold? Right over there is my bag of gold!”

“That is not a bag of gold! It’s full of figs, and according to the Emperor, anybody who comes here has to take one and throw it at you,” said the guard.

A while later, a man came out of the palace and the guard told him to take a fig and throw it at the man. The man picked up a fig, threw it at the man, and left.

Every person who arrived at or departed from the palace, threw a fig at the man.

Night came and the man went home. He knocked on the door. “Who’s at the door?” asked one of his children.

“It’s me!” answered the man. As his wife was going to open the door, she asked her husband: “What took you so long?”

“Oh, I was busy getting my reward!” he answered.

“That means you must have gotten a lot of gold. Right?” she complimented.

The wife opened the door and she saw a mountain of figs! Her husband was covered with figs!

“What happened?” asked the wife.

“Well,” said the husband. “This is what they gave me instead of gold!”

What do we learn from this story?

We should never be jealous of anyone.

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