A SCHOLAR’S FORTUNE
by Clifton Johnson
Leo and the Magic Rag
Once, Leo lived with Papa. Leo had a special secret: a magic rag! Leo came home. He was with Papa. He did not chop wood. Papa looked at Leo. Leo had his magic rag.
Papa was worried. "Leo, where were you?" Papa asked. "You did not work. I think you cannot chop wood well." Papa felt sad.
Leo smiled. "Do not worry, Papa," he said. "I will work now. I will cut this tree. Watch me." Leo took his ax. He rubbed it with his magic rag. It was a secret.
Leo hit the tree. *Clang!* The ax head changed. It turned silver. The ax broke. It could not cut wood. Leo looked at the ax.
"Oh no, Leo!" Papa cried. "What did you do? This ax was not ours. We borrowed it. Now it is broken. I must pay."
"Do not worry, Papa," Leo said. "I will pay for it. We can go home now. The ax is broken. We cannot work today."
Papa went home with Leo. Leo took the silver ax head. He went to a town. He looked for a shop. It was a shop for shiny things. He found The Shopkeeper.
"This is silver," Leo told The Shopkeeper. "I want to sell it." The Shopkeeper looked at it. He weighed the silver. "This is worth much money," he said.
The Shopkeeper gave Leo some money. Leo was happy. He took the money. He thanked The Shopkeeper. Leo went back home. He walked fast.
Leo came home. He saw Papa. "Papa," Leo said. "How much did the ax cost? The broken ax. Our neighbor's ax. We must pay him."
Papa thought. "The ax was new," he said. "It cost one shiny coin. Just one coin. It was a good ax."
Leo took out a big bag of coins. "Give him two coins, Papa," Leo said. "Keep all the rest. You will not worry. You will be happy now."
Papa's eyes grew wide. He was so surprised. "My goodness!" Papa said. "Where did you get this money? So much money!"
Leo told Papa everything. He told about the magic rag. The rag made silver. It made much money. Leo could make more money.
Leo used his money. He went to learn good things. He helped many people. He used his magic rag. It helped sick people. Leo was a kind man.
Leo and his Papa were very happy. Leo used his magic rag to help. He was kind and clever.
Original Story
IV—A SCHOLAR’S FORTUNE
After parting from the goblin, the young man went back to his father, who asked:
“Where have you been roaming so long? You have neglected your work. I was quite certain you would do nothing of this kind well.”
“Be contented,” was the son’s response, “I will make up the lost time. Watch me while I cut down this tree at one blow.”
He rubbed his ax with the magic rag, and gave the tree a powerful blow, but because the ax-head had been changed into silver the edge turned over.
“Ah, Father!” the son exclaimed, “do you see how poor an ax you have given me?”
“What have you done?” the father cried. “That ax was borrowed, and you have ruined it. I must pay for it, but I know not how I shall do so.”
“Don’t be troubled,” the son said. “I will soon pay for the ax.”
“Why, you simpleton! how will you do that?” his father retorted. “You have nothing but what I give you. Some student nonsense is stuck in your head. Of wood-cutting you know nothing.”
“Well, Father,” the son said, “I can work no more today now that my ax is spoiled. Let us make a holiday of the few hours that remain before sunset.”
“Eh, what?” his father cried, “do you think I can keep my hands in my pockets as you do? You can go home, but I must keep on with the chopping.”
“No,” the son objected, “you must come, too, for this is the first time I have been in the forest, and I do not know the way out.”
At last he persuaded his father to accompany him. After they reached home the son took the damaged ax to a goldsmith in a neighboring town. “This ax-head is silver,” the scholar told him. “I want to sell it.”
The goldsmith tested it to make sure of the quality of the metal, weighed it, and said, “Your ax is worth one hundred dollars, but I have not so much money in the shop.”
“Give me what you have,” the scholar requested, “and I will trust you for the rest.”
So the goldsmith gave him eighty dollars, and the scholar tramped back home. “Father,” he said, “I have some money now. Do you know what we will have to pay our neighbor to make good the loss of his ax?”
“Yes,” the father answered, “the ax was nearly new, and it cost him a dollar.”
“Then give him two dollars,” the son said. “He will have no regrets when he gets double payment. Here are fifty dollars. Pay our neighbor and keep the rest for yourself. You shall live at your ease in future and never want again.”
“My goodness!” the man exclaimed, “where did you get this money?”
The son told everything that had happened. He now could easily procure all the money he pleased, and the first use he made of his wealth was to return to school and learn as much as he could. Afterward, because he could heal all wounds with his rag, he became the most celebrated surgeon in the world.
Moral of the Story
Sometimes, unconventional wisdom and a bit of luck can lead to greater success than traditional hard work alone.
Characters
The Scholar (Son) ★ protagonist
Lean build, average height, with the slightly stooped posture of someone accustomed to study rather than manual labor. His hands, though capable of wielding an ax, are likely more refined than those of a typical woodsman.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for a young man from a modest background, likely made of sturdy linen or wool in muted earth tones. Perhaps a tunic over trousers, with a simple belt.
Wants: To prove his worth, to gain knowledge, and ultimately to provide for his father and live a life of ease and purpose.
Flaw: Lack of practical experience and initial overconfidence in his magical tools without understanding their altered properties (e.g., the silver ax-head).
Transforms from a seemingly impractical scholar into a wealthy and respected surgeon, demonstrating that his intelligence and unique gifts can lead to great success and benefit others.
Clever, resourceful, initially a bit naive about practical work, but quick-witted and generous. He is also determined and eager to learn.
The Father ◆ supporting
A man of sturdy, weathered build, showing the effects of a lifetime of manual labor. He is likely of average height, with strong, calloused hands.
Attire: Rough, practical peasant clothing made of coarse wool or homespun linen in dark, earthy tones. Likely wears a simple tunic, trousers, and sturdy boots, possibly patched from wear.
Wants: To provide for his family, to ensure his son learns a practical trade, and to avoid debt or financial hardship.
Flaw: His skepticism and worry prevent him from seeing possibilities beyond his immediate experience. He is easily overwhelmed by misfortune.
Changes from a worried, skeptical, and hardworking man to one who can live at ease, free from financial burdens, thanks to his son's unexpected fortune.
Skeptical, hardworking, worried, practical, and initially critical of his son's scholarly pursuits. He is easily troubled by financial loss but ultimately grateful and surprised by his son's success.
The Goldsmith ○ minor
A meticulous and precise individual, likely of average height and a slightly slender build, accustomed to detailed work.
Attire: Respectable, clean attire suitable for a craftsman, perhaps a dark linen or wool doublet over a simple shirt, with practical trousers. His clothing would be free of sawdust or grime, reflecting his trade.
Wants: To conduct his business honestly and accurately, ensuring fair transactions.
Flaw: Limited immediate cash flow, which is a common practical constraint for small business owners.
Remains a static character, serving as a catalyst for the scholar's financial gain.
Professional, honest, and astute in his trade. He is fair in his dealings.
Locations
Forest Clearing
A clearing within a dense European forest, likely with mature oak or beech trees. The ground is covered with fallen leaves and some undergrowth. Sunlight filters through the canopy, creating dappled patterns on the forest floor.
Mood: Initially mundane and laborious, then shifts to surprise and confusion as the ax is ruined.
The son attempts to cut down a tree with the magic-enhanced ax, revealing its silver head and ruining it, which leads to his father's dismay.
Scholar's Home
A simple, humble German half-timbered Fachwerk house, likely with a thatched or tiled roof. The interior would be modest, with a stone hearth and sturdy wooden furniture, reflecting the father's working-class life.
Mood: Initially tense due to the ruined ax, then shifts to disbelief and wonder as the son reveals his newfound wealth.
The son returns home with his father, later bringing back money from the goldsmith, revealing his fortune and changing their lives.
Goldsmith's Shop
A small, bustling goldsmith's shop in a neighboring European town. It would feature a sturdy wooden counter, various tools for working metal, and perhaps some finished jewelry or metal items displayed in a secure cabinet.
Mood: Professional and transactional, with an undercurrent of surprise from the goldsmith.
The scholar sells the silver ax-head to the goldsmith, receiving a significant sum of money, confirming the value of his magical item.
Story DNA
Moral
Sometimes, unconventional wisdom and a bit of luck can lead to greater success than traditional hard work alone.
Plot Summary
A young scholar, after an encounter with a goblin, returns home to his disapproving father. When he attempts to cut a tree, a magic rag transforms his borrowed ax-head into silver, ruining it. His father is distraught over the debt, but the son sells the silver ax-head to a goldsmith for a substantial sum. He uses this money to generously repay the ax's owner, provide for his father, and fund his own education, eventually becoming a world-renowned surgeon with the continued aid of his magic rag.
Themes
Emotional Arc
doubt to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Clifton Johnson was an American author and photographer who collected and retold folk tales in the early 20th century, often adapting them for a broader audience. This story reflects common themes of fortune and transformation found in European folklore.
Plot Beats (15)
- The young scholar returns to his father after meeting a goblin, having neglected his work.
- His father scolds him for idleness and predicts his failure.
- The son, confident, attempts to cut a tree with his ax, which he has secretly rubbed with a magic rag.
- The ax-head transforms into silver upon impact, ruining the ax.
- The father is distraught, realizing the ax was borrowed and he must pay for its damage.
- The son calms his father, promising to pay for it, and persuades him to go home.
- The son takes the damaged ax to a goldsmith in a nearby town.
- The goldsmith confirms the ax-head is silver, weighs it, and offers one hundred dollars.
- The son accepts eighty dollars upfront and trusts the goldsmith for the rest.
- Returning home, the son asks his father the cost of the ruined ax.
- The father states the ax cost one dollar.
- The son gives his father fifty dollars, instructing him to pay the neighbor two dollars and keep the rest.
- The father is astonished and asks where the money came from.
- The son explains his encounter with the goblin and the magic rag.
- The son uses his wealth to return to school and later becomes a world-renowned surgeon, able to heal all wounds with his magic rag.
