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The Golden Treasure

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 19, 1911

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 88, No. 42.

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The Golden Treasure

By D. L. Graves

Long, long ago a farmer had three sons who did not like to work. They were really very lazy, and although he tried his best to teach them to help him on the farm, they would do only the work that was absolutely necessary, and neglect all the rest. One day the father found he must go on a long journey, so he called his sons to him, and said: “My boys, I am going very far away, and may never come back. I leave you all my treasure, but you must find it for yourselves. It is hidden in my fields.”
You may be sure the boys began to hunt for the treasure just as soon as he left. Day after day they were digging in the fields from morning until night. They forgot how they hated to work, and their mother, who knew all about the hidden treasure, was greatly pleased to see them so industrious. At last one whole field was dug up from one end to the other, but not one piece of gold did they find. They were greatly disappointed, and concluded the treasure must be in another field.
“Before we dig up another field,” said one of the brothers, “we might just as well make some use of this one; so let us plant some corn in it.”
His brothers were quite willing, and it in, so it happened that while they slowly and carefully dug up another field, the corn grew in a most amazing fashion.
One day their mother said: “I see the weeds are growing very fast in your corn, boys. Since you have gone to the trouble of planting it, you may as well cultivate it.”
As they cut the weeds, they were so pleased with the way it grew that they took more and more care of it, and when it was ready for cutting, they found they had the finest crop they had ever raised. They sold it for almost as much gold as they had expected to find in the field.
One day as they were resting under the shade of a tree, the oldest son said: “Boys, I’ve been thinking of what father said about the treasure he left in the fields, and I believe he meant we should find it in just this way—by cultivating the farm he left to us. I for one mean to keep on searching for it in the same way.”
His brothers agreed with him, and after that there was no farm in the country that was so well cared for, nor one that brought its owners so much gold.— D. L. Graves, in American Motherhood.