RIPENED FRUIT of WISDOM

OLD PEOPLE….sometimes underestimated by the community for they consider them to be useless with regards to work. Some people don’t even care and listen to old people for they believe that they’re just quite silly because of their age. However, there are still those, who, until now, consider the importance of the old ones despite their indescribable behaviors. They can still be helpful in such a way some people don’t see and appreciate.

Let me share you a story taken from the tales of Japan.

Many long years ago, there lived an arrogant and cruel Lord in the Western hills of Japan who considered old people to be useless anymore in their village, for according to him, they’re neither useful nor able to work for living. The Lord, therefore made a decree that all people in their village over 71 years old must be banished from their place and left in the mountains to die. All he wanted was a village with young people living in it. If people disobey him, they will be punished. So, they tearfully followed their unreasonable and cruel Lord, until there were fewer and fewer old people in their village.

Now, there lived a man with his old mother. As years passed by, until her mother had reach the terrible age of 71. Even though it’s hard for him to obey their Lord’s decree, but he still have to do it. When they’ve reach the high mountains, the man could no longer take it anymore, he could not do that kind of thing to his mother. So, he decided to take her back to their home where he dug a deep hole in the kitchen and made a small room where he could hide his mother. He would visit his mother daily and bring her some food without letting anyone know that he’d kept his mother for almost a year underground.

Then, there came a time that Lord Higa of the town beyond the hills wanted to conquer their village and he sent them various and terrible problems: “⁽¹⁾a box containing one thousand ropes of ash”, “⁽²⁾a log with a small hole that curved and bent seven times through its length, and that a single piece of silk thread be threaded through the whole”, and lastly, “⁽³⁾a drum that sounds without being beaten.” These impossible tasks were solved immediately by the young man’s old mother. But, how? Even all the wise men could not find any solution. Well, on the first task, his mother told his son to soak ordinary rope in salt water and dry it well. When it is burned, it will hold its shape and there is the rope of ash. His son and the villagers did what the old woman said. On the second task, the wise old woman again solved the problem. She again ordered his son to put some sugar at one end of the hole. Then, tie a piece of silk thread to an ant and put it in at the other end. The ant will weave his way in and out of the curves to get to the sugar and he will take the silk thread with him. Again, the village was saved. Then, on the last task, the old woman said to make a drum with sides of paper and put a bumblebee inside. As it tries to escape, it will buzz and beat itself against the paper and you will have a drum that sound without being beaten.

Because of the wisdom the old mother of the young man, the village was saved. And from that day on, the cruel lord was impressed and he realized the worth and importance of the old people. Never again he demands that the old people of the village will be sent to the mountains to die. Rather, they will be treated with the respect and honor they deserve and share with us the wisdom of their years.

This story reminds us of the Japanese proverb “With a crown of snow cometh great wisdom.” This proverb means that “Wisdom comes with age” and that we should also learn to respect the old ones for they have the wisdom that truly will make a big difference in our lives. Even though they do not fit, or let’s say, they’re not “in” with the latest trends and craze of the world today, but they can be still helpful and useful not just in our community but in the country as well.

I made this one (kinda short summary of The Wise Old Woman by Yoshiko Uchida) because my elementary classmate requested me to write an article regarding with the usefulness of the old people nowadays.

I decided to post it here :))