The City of Riches
Rupert was meant to be a wise and clever young man. It was said no one was as brave and clever as he within a distance of ten villages.
Rupert and the Story of the Golden City
One day, Rupert was sitting around the fire with his friends, listening to the adventures of a soldier passing through their village. And this was the most interesting part of the soldier's stories:
— The City of Riches! — Does it really exist? — Hmm, I don't think so. — Oh, it certainly does!
The City of Riches: An Amazing Description
— Atop a mountain, shining like the sun with its enormous towers, made of pure gold. There is so much gold and wealth there that people don't know what to do with it all. So they make everything out of gold, and when they get bored with them, they make new ones. New dishes, new ornaments, new buildings. The old ones are destroyed and the sweepings are discarded.
— What? — What? — What? — Should we send us the gold? — Shhh! Let him speak! Come on, soldier, come on! Tell us more!
— Mmm, mmm, mmm, thank you! Well, you have to be good to share money or food, but they only have gold and precious gems on all the streets. Even the dust on the streets is gold, and the sweepers collect it in their golden baskets, encrusted with precious gems that shine brighter than the stars in the sky.
— I'm sure the people in this city spend their time singing and dancing, for they don't have to work. — Yes, and they eat whatever they want. — Oh, money isn't the only reason to work, sing and dance, or eat. Well, then!
— Is that what the city looks like? — It looks wonderful, Jack! — It looks wonderful, Jack! — How wonderful if their gold was so beautiful. — Tell us more about the gold! — Ah! All the houses are made of gold. The windows are all made of diamond. The streets are paved with silver and platinum, and the stones on them are precious gems. They shine so brightly that no fire is needed to light the houses or the city.
The First Path: The Road of Dangers
— But how can you get there? There are two paths. One is terrible. The stones on the road are so sharp they cut your feet, and the road is full of terrible obstacles like bogs, pools of quicksand, slippery paths leading to precipices, so that even if you reach the city, you'll be too tired and exhausted to...
The Second Path: The Price of the Heart
— And the second path? — Oh! On that one, you reach the City of Riches in a few days. But you have to... — Enough! Show me this path! I'm going to the city! — Don't rush! Wait a moment to... — I've heard enough, soldier! And nothing can change my mind! I'm leaving now! — Hey, wait! I can't wait any longer!
Rupert's Journey
Well, Rupert was so eager to reach the City of Riches that he didn't even think to say goodbye to his friends or family.
— Bye, Rupert! — Bye, Rupert! — Bye, Rupert!
Rupert walked with the soldier into a forest, and there the soldier showed him the quicker way to go. Rupert was so eager to leave that he forgot to thank the soldier. He walked and walked until he reached a river. A strange ferryman was waiting on the bank.
The Encounter with the Ferryman
— Will you take me across the river, please? — It costs fifty silver coins. — Do I look like I've ever had that much money? — I'm sorry, no money, no crossing. — Please, sir, I'm going to the City of Riches! I'll pay you whatever you want when I return. — No one has returned from there with riches. Very well. If you don't have silver coins, then give me a piece of your heart.
A Piece of Rupert's Heart
— What? Then I'll die! — Oh, I didn't mean your body, but the essence of your heart.
The ferryman took out a flute and played a strange melody. From Rupert's chest, a few shining sparks flew out and entered the flute. Then, Rupert got into the boat and was taken to the other side of the river.
On the Mountain and at the City Gate
Then, Rupert climbed a mountain, and when he reached the top, another man, like the ferryman, was there. Rupert could now see the golden towers of the city across a long forest path. However, strangely, he was no longer so excited.
Ever since the ferryman had taken a piece of his heart, Rupert felt heavy, as if the empty space had turned to stone.
— You must pay to pass. — I don't have any silver with me. Can I give you a piece of my heart? — Yes, of course!
Like the ferryman, this man also took out a flute. He played a strange melody, and golden sparks flew out of Rupert's chest and entered the flute. Strangely, instead of being happy to be closer to the City of Riches, Rupert felt heavy and empty inside, and he couldn't explain why, but he continued his journey.
Soon, Rupert reached the gates of the City of Riches, and, as the soldier had described it, the enormous gate was made of pure gold, encrusted with the greatest diamonds and precious gems that existed. Rupert was about to enter, but he was stopped by a gatekeeper who looked like the ferryman and the man from the mountains.
— Stop! You must pay to pass! — Do you also accept a piece of my heart? — Yes!
As before, the gatekeeper also took out a flute and began to play the same strange melody.
The Joyless City
Rupert felt strange. The City of Riches was before him, but he felt no joy, even though he was about to enter it. For a moment, Rupert wondered if this wasn't happening because he had paid with his heart, and he wished not to be without a heart. Because of this, a small spark remained in his chest and did not enter the flute.
The gates opened and Rupert entered. The city was exactly as the soldier had described it, but Rupert was not excited. Rupert saw a man passing by him and smiled. The man did not smile back and looked at him blankly.
Rupert walked further and saw a table with the finest foods, placed on golden trays, but no one was eating.
— Alas! What good is food if you're not hungry?
Rupert walked further and saw a pile of musical instruments made of gold and precious gems, but no one was playing them. The street sweeper came and threw them into a golden basket.
— Alas! What good is music if you have no worries and no problems?
Then, Rupert saw a goldsmith making golden vessels. They all looked exactly the same.
— Alas! What good is creativity if things will be thrown away because there are too many?
A Spark of Hope
Rupert looked at all the expressionless and heartless people around him. No one was happy and no one was smiling here. And finally, he realized what he had done when he paid with his heart. And because of that spark remaining in his heart, he could feel a little sadness. But the people there, with their empty hearts, felt nothing but emptiness. For all the gold there, it seemed these people had turned to stone.
Rupert didn't want to live like that. He decided to go home.
— I want to go home! I want to see my friends and family!
The Return Home
At that moment, all the sparks of his heart that the gatekeeper had taken, flew back into his heart. Now Rupert felt a little joy at the thought of seeing his friends and family.
When the man from the mountains returned the sparks of his heart, Rupert's heart began to beat strongly, and when the ferryman returned the sparks, Rupert almost ran off towards his friends and family.
— Mother! Father! I am so sorry! — Hey, Rupert! — My son! — You're back! Thank goodness you're back! — Oh, you're back!
The Moral of the Story
— I'm sorry, good people! Greed for gold blinded me. Now I realize that wealth is useless without joy, and joy comes from three things:
- When we keep our humanity and our heart, whether we are rich or not.
- When we have people to laugh and cry with.
- When we have a purpose to strive for.
If we only had gold and riches, our hearts would turn to stone, like the hearts of those in the City of Riches.
And therefore, Rupert returned wiser from the City of Riches. It's true, isn't it? If life gave you a choice between loved ones and all the gold in the world, what would you choose?
Gold is only good when accompanied by love.
