God provides

That is the title of the story that my nearly ten-year old twin practiced for a talent show in his school.

For reasons best known to him he chose to tell a story when all his classmates chose to sing, dance, mime and so on.  And on top he chose this story of all.  As I thought about it I was wondering if this choice had anything to do with his professed choice of wanting to “become a professor like my father when I grow up.”

And so here is the story as copied from the script that he wrote by himself in preparation for the show.

Once upon a time there lived in a kingdom a poor cobbler.  Those were the days when kings and queens ruled the world.

The cobbler was a happy man  although he was poor.

The king of the country was in the habit of going around in disguise to see if his subjects were happy.  One day the king came across this poor but happy cobbler.  He asked him how he was so  happy even though he was poor.  The cobbler replied, “ The Lord provides,Sir”.

The king was a vain man.  He was angry that the cobbler thanked God and not him for his happiness.  He passed a rule that the cobbler could no longer ply his trade.

The next day he went to look up the cobbler in another disguise.  He found that the poor cobbler was now a poor wood-cutter.  The king asked the wood-cutter the same question:  What makes you so happy when you are so poor.  And the wood-cutter replied, “Sir, the Lord provides.”

The king was even more angry.  He passed another rule that the wood-cutter could no longer fell trees or cut wood. 

On the third day the king went around in another disguise in search of the wood-cutter.  He found that he had become a soldier and was happy as ever.  The king asked the soldier what made him so happy.  He got the same answer, “Sir, the Lord provides.”

The king was very angry by now.  He removed his disguise and threatened the soldier that he would have to fight a duel with his commander in chief.  Much to his surprise the weak soldier managed to defeat the able commander in chief. 

The king was taken aback.  He offered the soldier the job of a minister in his cabinet.

The soldier replied, Your Majesty, that is too big a job for me. I am happy to be a cobbler again.  As I always say, the Lord provides.”

I asked my son if the story would win a prize when others might sing and dance.  His reply surprised me.  He said, “Dadda, I like this story very much.  I would like to narrate it at the show.  It does not matter if I don’t get the prize.”

With great trouble I held back my tears for fear of letting him think his father is a weakling.  I do not what brought those tears to my eyes.  Was it the powerful and moving message in the story?  Was it the fact that my son chose to narrate it without caring about winning a prize?  Was it the sense of wonderment at how this boy does not seem to inherit any of my hard-heartedness or worse cussedness? Is it because I am a middle aged man, now given to foolish sentimentality?

I do not know.  As with many other puzzling matters in my life I am not sure I ever will.

Nanni….Namaskaaram