Theme: Balance

Daughters' wishes

A father had two daughters. The first one liked to walk in the sun and listen to the birds singing. The second took great care of her garden.

One day, talking to his youngest daughter, the father asked what her greatest desire was.

She answered:

— I'm very happy with what I have, but if I can ask for one special thing, it is going to be for to rain a lot every day so that the plants grow green.

The next day, the father spoke to his eldest daughter and also asked what her greatest desire was.

And she answered him:

— I have nothing to complain about, but, if it were possible, I would like every day to have a clear sky, without clouds, with bright sunshine for everyone to enjoy.

The father realized that his daughters had good reasons behind their desires, but they were both forgetting something very important. The next day, in the morning, he called the girls and said:

— If it rained all the time, the soil would be too wet. The plants would not be able to fix their roots and it would be difficult to walk through the mud. But if it was always sunny, it would be too hot to enjoy the day. But look! Plants also need light, and animals need water and coolness. The secret of a good life is balance.

The daughters understood their father's teaching. And the three then watched the clouds passing by, the fine rain that fell, and, when the sun appeared, the beautiful rainbow that appeared.

(Adaptation of the fable “The Father and the Two Daughters”, from the website br.guiainfantil.com, by Lívia Seneda.)

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com