In which there is a story for the New Year: "Filling the House, part two"

Happy New Year to us all.  May the days be kind and the nights be gentle.

--Aarene

Filling the House (part two)

Many years after inheriting the house, the farm, and all the animals, the youngest son was ready to retire…but he didn’t know which of his three daughters should inherit everything.

He decided to repeat his father’s contest. He gave each girl a small coin—worth about a dollar—and told them to fill up the house. Whichever of them could fill the house most completely would inherit everything.

The three girls left the house together and talked for almost an hour.

Then the eldest daughter took all three coins and walked to town. When she got there, she bought carrots, and yams, and beans, and other good vegetables.

She carried everything home, put a big pot of water on the stove to boil, and added the vegetables.

Her father smelled the soup cooking, and smiled. “My eldest daughter is filling the house up with the smell of good food! Perhaps she will inherit everything.”

The middle daughter walked down to the pond, cut some reeds with her pocketknife, and made a little flute. Then she returned to the house, playing a merry little tune.

Her father heard the song, and he smiled. “My middle daughter is filling the house up with the sound of music! Perhaps she will inherit everything.”

The youngest daughter went to visit each of their neighbors.

At sunset, she returned home, followed by all of the people of the town.

Each person carried a pot of food, a loaf of bread, or a bottle of wine. When they got to the house, they all shared the food they had brought, as well as the soup made by the eldest daughter.

Then they brought out musical instruments and played music and sang and told stories by the fire until late into the night.

The father joined the party, and he smiled. “My youngest daughter has filled the house up with our friends and neighbors.

“But now, which of my daughters should inherit the house, the farm, and all of the animals?”

The daughters answered him together. “Father, this house is large enough for all of us, and for our children and their friends as well.

“We want to inherit the house together so we can all live here.”

So that is what they did. The daughters shared the house. When they married and had children, they all lived in the house together.

And for many years, all those people filled up the house…

with love.

Readers are welcome to forward the link to this page, copy/paste the text, re-tell this story over the campfire or the watercooler, and otherwise help it move out into the world.  Please remember that it came to you from Haiku Farm, with love.