Story 18: The Two Boys at the Graves

I saw the son of a rich man sitting at his father's grave, arguing with a poor man's boy. He said: 'Our tomb's chest is solid stone, the inscription is bright with color, marble slabs cover the floor, and turquoise tiles are set into it. What does your father's grave amount to? A couple of bricks laid down, and two handfuls of dirt sprinkled over them.' The poor man's son heard this and said: 'By the time your father manages to stir himself under those heavy stones, my father will already have reached paradise.' A donkey given a lighter load will surely travel the road with more ease. The poor man who carried the burden of hardship and want comes to the door of death lightly loaded. But the one who lived in comfort, ease, and plenty, no doubt his dying will come hard, after all of that. In every case, a captive who breaks free of his chains is better off than a prince who falls into bondage.