The Three Sons of Fortune

In a small village at the edge of a great forest, there lived a man who had worked hard all his life but never accumulated much wealth. As he grew old and felt his strength failing, he called his three sons to his bedside.

“My dear boys,” he said with a heavy heart, “I have lived a good life, but I have little to leave you. I cannot divide fields or gold among you, for I have neither. Instead, I must send you out into the world to make your own fortunes.”

The three sons gathered around their father’s bed, their faces showing love and understanding rather than disappointment.

“But father,” said the eldest son, “surely you have something to give us as we begin our journeys.”

The old man smiled weakly. “I do have three small things. They may seem worthless now, but they are all I can offer.” He pointed to a corner of the room. “Take the rooster, the scythe, and the cat. Let each of you choose one, and may it serve you well.”

The eldest son looked at the three objects and shook his head. “A rooster? Of what use is that?” But seeing his father’s hopeful expression, he picked up the proud red bird. “Very well, I shall take the rooster and see what fortune it may bring.”

The second son examined the old scythe with its worn wooden handle and sharp blade. “This tool has served our family well in the harvest,” he said thoughtfully. “Perhaps it will serve me too.” He claimed the scythe as his inheritance.

The youngest son was left with the cat—a sleek, intelligent creature with bright green eyes and a purr like distant thunder. “Hello, little friend,” he said, stroking the cat’s soft fur. “It seems we are to be companions.”

The father blessed each of his sons and gave them what little bread and cheese he could spare for their journeys. “Go forth with my love,” he said. “Remember that fortune favors not just the bold, but the wise and kind as well.”

The three brothers set out together until they reached a crossroads where three paths diverged. There they embraced and parted, each taking a different direction.

The eldest son traveled north with his rooster perched on his shoulder. For days he walked through forests and over hills, wondering how a simple farmyard bird could possibly bring him fortune. The rooster proved to be good company, crowing cheerfully each morning and keeping watch while his master slept.

After a week of travel, the young man came to an island nation where the people had never seen or heard of roosters. They were amazed by the bird’s magnificent plumage and even more astonished when it crowed at dawn.

“What magical creature is this?” asked the island’s king, who had come to investigate the commotion. “It sings like an angel and its feathers shine like jewels!”

“This is a rooster, Your Majesty,” explained the eldest son. “In my homeland, every farm has them. They wake us each morning with their song and are considered quite ordinary.”

“Ordinary?” gasped the king. “This magnificent bird is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen! And such a useful song—no more shall my servants need to guess the time of dawn. I must have this rooster for my royal collection!”

The king offered the young man a chest of gold in exchange for the rooster. Though he was sad to part with his feathered companion, the eldest son accepted the trade and returned home wealthy beyond his dreams.

Meanwhile, the second son had traveled east with the scythe across his back. His journey led him to a land where the people harvested their grain by pulling it up with their hands—a slow and difficult process that left much grain unharvested before winter came.

When the local farmers saw the second son cutting grain with swift, clean strokes of his scythe, they gathered in amazement. In one hour, he harvested more grain than they could gather in a day.

“Sell us this miraculous tool!” they begged. “Name any price!”

“This scythe has been in my family for generations,” the young man replied. “But I can see how much it would help your people.” He agreed to sell the scythe for enough gold to buy a fine farm in his homeland, along with a promise to teach several farmers how to forge and use similar tools.

The third son, traveling south with his cat padding silently beside him, came to a great city that was plagued by mice and rats. The rodents had overrun the grain stores, nibbled through important documents, and made life miserable for everyone.

“Citizens of this great city,” announced the young man in the marketplace, “I have brought you the solution to your troubles.” He set down his cat, who immediately began demonstrating her hunting skills.

The people were amazed as the cat caught mouse after mouse with lightning speed. Within days, she had cleared entire buildings of rodents, and soon the city was free of the pest problem that had plagued it for years.

“This creature is worth more than gold to us!” declared the mayor. “What do you ask in exchange for her services?”

“My cat is my dear companion,” said the youngest son. “But if you can provide her with a comfortable home and ensure she is well cared for, I will leave her here to serve your city. In return, I ask only for enough to support myself modestly.”

The grateful citizens not only paid him well but made his cat an honored citizen of the city, with her own palace and servants to attend to her every need. The youngest son used his payment to establish a small but prosperous business and found great contentment in his simple life.

After several years, the three brothers met again at their childhood home, where their father still lived in the little cottage.

“My sons!” he exclaimed with joy. “Tell me of your fortunes!”

The eldest son told of his rooster and the king who had paid a fortune for what seemed an ordinary bird. The second son spoke of his scythe and how its simple efficiency had brought him wealth and the gratitude of an entire farming community. The youngest told of his cat and the city she had saved from the plague of rodents.

“I am proud of you all,” said their father. “But tell me truly—which of you is the happiest?”

The eldest son, despite his wealth, admitted he sometimes felt lonely without his cheerful rooster. The second son, though prosperous, missed the familiar feel of his family’s old scythe in his hands.

But the youngest son smiled peacefully. “I am content, father. I have enough to live comfortably, I’ve helped many people, and I know my cat is happy and honored in her new home. What more could I ask for?”

The old man nodded wisely. “You have all learned the same lesson in different ways. Fortune is not just about gold and property—it is about finding the right place for your gifts and being content with what you have accomplished.”

The three brothers lived near each other for the rest of their days, each contributing to their community in his own way. The eldest son became a merchant, traveling to exotic lands and bringing back wonderful goods. The second son became a master farmer, teaching others the most efficient ways to work the land. The youngest son opened a small inn where travelers were always welcome and well-fed.

From time to time, they would receive news of their gifts. The rooster had become the symbol of the island kingdom, appearing on flags and coins. The scythe’s design had spread throughout the eastern lands, revolutionizing agriculture. And the cat had become a legend, with statues erected in her honor throughout the great city.

“Father,” said the youngest son one evening as they all sat together, “your gifts were indeed more valuable than gold. They taught us that anything can become fortunate in the right hands and in the right place.”

“And,” added the eldest son, “that fortune is not just what you receive, but what you give to others.”

“Most importantly,” concluded the second son, “that true wealth comes from being satisfied with your lot while working to make life better for those around you.”

Their father smiled, knowing that he had given his sons the greatest inheritance of all—the wisdom to find happiness and purpose wherever their paths might lead them.

And so the three sons of fortune lived long and happy lives, remembered in their community not just for their success, but for their kindness, wisdom, and contentment with the simple gifts that had started them on their journeys.