KUNNIOITA ISÄÄSI JA ÄITIÄSI
by Zacharias Topelius · from Lukemisia lapsille 3
Adapted Version
Let me tell you a story about a folks and their grandpa.
This story teaches us to love our old ones.
A folks lived in one home. There was a Father, a Mother, a Little Boy, and Grandpa. Grandpa was very old. His hands shook a lot.
When Grandpa ate, he often spilled his food. So, they put a bib on him. But he still spilled some soup.
They said he should eat alone. It would be cleaner that way.
Grandpa had to eat in the corner. He used a wooden bowl. He felt very sad.
Grandpa cried a little. He was all alone. Someone saw this. They knew it was not right.
One day, the Little Boy sat on the floor. He was carving a piece of wood.
Father asked, "What are you making?"
The Little Boy said, "I am making a bowl. For you and Mother. For when you are old."
Father and Mother looked at each other. They felt very sorry. They knew they were wrong.
They went to Grandpa. They hugged him. They said, "We are sorry."
They brought Grandpa back to the table. He sat with them. They would always care for him.
This story shows that we must love and care for our old ones. If we are kind to them, our children will be kind to us.
Original Story
KUNNIOITA ISÄÄSI JA ÄITIÄSI,
Historia, jonka nyt kerron, on hyvin lyhyt, mutta niin merkillinen, että siitä niin suuret kuin pienetkin selvästi näkevät, miten Jumala tahtoo, että lasten tulee pitää kunniassa vanhempiansa. Sillä lasten kiittämättömyys ja halveksiminen vanhempia kohtaan on kaikkein suurin synti ja sitä varmaan kovasti rangaistaan, ell'ei tänään tai huomenna, niin ainakin vast'edes, kun lapset kasvavat suuriksi.
Tämäkin on vain vanha historia, jota moni jo on kertonut ennen minua, mutta kyllä sitä kannattaa kuulla vieläkin kerran.
Oli mies ja vaimo, joilla oli luonansa vanha isä, ja heillä oli itselläänkin lapsia. Vanha ukko, se isänisä, oli jo ihan harmaa sekä niin vanha ja heikko, ett'ei hän jaksanut vakavasti pitää kättänsä, jos siihen otti jotakin.
Kun hän istui pöydässä syömässä muiden kanssa, ei hän saanutkaan lusikkaa viedyksi suuhunsa kaatamatta keittoa päällensä. Se ei muiden mielestä ollut sopivata. He sentähden sitoivat ukolle kaulaan ruokaliinan niinkuin pikku lapselle. Mutta ukon kädet vapisivat sittekin ja hän yhä läikytteli keittoa puhtaalle ruokaliinalle. Vaan eihän hän sitä osannut estää.
Mies ja vaimo olivat kiittämättömät ja kovasydämmiset. He eivät muistelleet, miten paljon vaivaa ja puuhaa heidän vanhempansa olivat heistä nähneet silloin, kuin he olivat pienet ja taitamattomat, Sentähden he sanoivat ankarasti: "jos ukko ei lakkaa tuhraamasta ruokaliinaa, niin saa hän syödä tuolla nurkassa yksinään."
Mutta ukko ei voinut sitä auttaa, hän oli niin vanha. Sentähden nuo armottomat ihmiset panivat hänet nurkkaan ja antoivat hänelle puukaukalon; ukko sai siitä päivästä alkain istua nurkassa syömässä yksin, mutta mies ja vaimo söivät pöydässä kuten ennenkin.
Se hyvin suretti vanhaa ukkoa, sillä raskastapa on nähdä itseään vanhana halveksittavan ainoastaan vanhuuden tähden ja omain lastensa puolelta. Kiittämätön sydän on raskain taakka, kuin maa päällään kantaa.
Mutta ukko kuitenkin istui nurkassaan ja itki niin hiljaa, ett'ei kukaan nähnyt kyyneliä, jotka juoksivat pitkin kurttuisia kasvoja alas lumivalkoiselle parralle. Ainoastaan Jumala, joka näkee kaikki, näki myöskin vanhuksen surun ja ihmisten kovuuden, ja hän tiesi keinon nöyryyttää armottomat.
Eräänä päivänä istui ukko, kuten tavallista, nurkassansa; mies ja vaimo istuivat pöydässä ja lattialla istui heidän pieni nelivuotinen poikansa vuoleksien puupalasta. Mies kysyi häneltä: "Mitäs nyt teet, poikaseni?"
Poika vastasi: "minä vuolen kaukaloa."
"No, mitäs sillä teet?" kysyi isä.
"Kun te, isä ja äiti, tulette vanhoiksi, panen minä teidät nurkkaan syömään kaukalosta, niinkuin ukko nyt syö."
Mies ja vaimo katsoivat silmäkkäin, ja Jumala avasi heidän silmänsä, niin että he näkivät suuren syntinsä ja kiittämättömyytensä, ja heistä tuntui omantunnon ääni puhuvan lapsen suun kautta, sanoen: "jos te ylönkatsotte vanhempianne heidän vanhuudessansa, niin teidän lapsenne katsovat teitä ylön, kun kerran vanhenette."
Ja molemmat menivät itkien nurkkaan ukon luo, syleilivät häntä ja sanoivat: "Anna anteeksi, me olemme tehneet niin pahasti sinua kohtaan! Täst'edes pitää sinun istua meidän kanssamme pöydässä ja paraassa paikassa. Sillä nyt me tiedämme, ett'ei koskaan pidä unhotettaman pyhää ja kaunista neljättä käskyä: 'kunnioita isääs ja äitiäs, ettäs sinulle hyvin kävis ja sinä kauan eläisit maan päällä'."
Story DNA
Moral
Children must honor their parents, for ingratitude will be punished, and the way one treats their elders will be mirrored by their own children.
Plot Summary
A couple, annoyed by their frail, elderly father's messy eating, banishes him to eat alone from a wooden trough in a corner. The old man is deeply saddened, but one day, their young son is found carving a similar trough. When asked, the son explains it's for his parents when they grow old, mirroring their treatment of the grandfather. This revelation strikes the parents with profound guilt, leading them to repent, beg their father's forgiveness, and welcome him back to the family table, vowing to honor him according to the Fourth Commandment.
Themes
Emotional Arc
cruelty to repentance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Zacharias Topelius was a prominent Finnish-Swedish author known for his fairy tales and historical novels, often imbued with strong moral lessons and Christian values, reflecting 19th-century Nordic societal norms.
Plot Beats (12)
- The narrator introduces the story as a lesson on honoring parents, emphasizing the sin of ingratitude.
- A couple lives with their very old and frail father, who struggles to eat without spilling food.
- The couple, annoyed by his messiness, ties a bib on him like a child, but he still spills.
- They harshly tell him that if he continues to make a mess, he will have to eat alone in the corner.
- Unable to help his trembling hands, the old man is banished to eat from a wooden trough in the corner.
- The grandfather is deeply hurt and cries silently, feeling the burden of his children's ingratitude.
- God observes the situation and plans to humble the cruel couple.
- One day, the couple's young son is seen carving a wooden trough while the grandfather eats in his corner.
- The father asks his son what he is making, and the son explains it's a trough for his parents when they get old.
- The parents are struck by the realization of their sin, seeing their own future reflected in their son's words.
- They weep, go to the grandfather, embrace him, and beg for his forgiveness.
- They promise to always honor him and have him sit at the best place at the table, remembering the Fourth Commandment.
Characters
The Grandfather
Frail and stooped, with trembling hands that struggle to hold objects steadily. His movements are slow and uncertain due to extreme old age.
Attire: Simple, worn, but clean Finnish peasant clothing of the 19th century. Likely a homespun linen or wool shirt, possibly a waistcoat, and trousers in muted, earthy tones like grey or brown. He would wear a clean, white linen napkin tied around his neck during meals, like a child's bib.
Wants: To live out his remaining days with dignity and the love of his family, despite his physical decline.
Flaw: His extreme old age and physical frailty, which make him dependent and unable to perform simple tasks without difficulty.
Initially a figure of neglect and pity, he becomes the catalyst for his son and daughter-in-law's moral awakening, eventually being restored to a place of honor at the family table.
Patient, sorrowful, resigned, vulnerable, gentle.
The Man
A man in his prime, likely strong from manual labor, but with a stern and unyielding demeanor. His posture might initially be rigid, reflecting his harshness.
Attire: Practical, sturdy 19th-century Finnish peasant clothing: a homespun wool or linen shirt, a dark waistcoat, and durable trousers, possibly with a leather belt. His clothes would be clean but simple.
Wants: To maintain order and cleanliness in his home, and perhaps to avoid the inconvenience of caring for his elderly father. Later, to seek forgiveness and honor his father.
Flaw: His lack of empathy and gratitude towards his aging father, leading to cruel treatment.
Transforms from a harsh and ungrateful son to a repentant and loving one, learning the importance of honoring his parents.
Harsh, ungrateful, hard-hearted, stern. Later, remorseful, humble, and repentant.
The Woman
A woman in her prime, likely sturdy and capable, reflecting the demands of peasant life. Her initial demeanor would be as stern as her husband's.
Attire: Traditional 19th-century Finnish peasant dress: a long, practical linen or wool dress in muted colors (e.g., dark blue, grey, or brown), possibly with a simple apron over it. Her clothing would be clean and functional.
Wants: To maintain order and cleanliness in her home, and perhaps to avoid the inconvenience of caring for her elderly father-in-law. Later, to seek forgiveness and honor him.
Flaw: Her lack of empathy and gratitude towards her aging father-in-law, leading to cruel treatment.
Transforms from a harsh and ungrateful daughter-in-law to a repentant and loving one, learning the importance of honoring her elders.
Harsh, ungrateful, hard-hearted, severe. Later, remorseful, humble, and repentant.
The Boy
A small, four-year-old child, with the typical build and innocence of a young boy. His hands are small, capable of whittling wood.
Attire: Simple, comfortable 19th-century Finnish child's clothing: a loose-fitting linen tunic or shirt, and simple trousers, likely in muted, natural colors. His clothes would be practical for playing on the floor.
Wants: To imitate his parents' actions, believing it to be the correct way to treat elders.
Flaw: His innocence and literal interpretation of his parents' actions, which, while leading to a positive outcome, stems from a lack of understanding of the cruelty involved.
He remains consistent in his innocent observation and literal interpretation, serving as the unchanging moral compass that guides his parents' transformation.
Observant, innocent, literal, perceptive, honest.
Locations
Family's Main Living Room / Dining Area
A humble, likely timber-framed Finnish cottage interior, featuring a central dining table where the family eats. There is a specific corner designated for the grandfather, away from the main table. The floor is likely wooden planks. The atmosphere shifts from cold and unfeeling to one of remorse and reconciliation.
Mood: Initially tense and cold due to the parents' harshness towards the grandfather, transitioning to sorrow and finally to a warm, repentant, and loving atmosphere.
The grandfather is forced to eat in the corner from a wooden trough. The child reveals his intention to do the same to his parents when they are old, leading to the parents' realization and repentance.