— That's right, Grandpa, with good bricks, just like my little house, — Mickey answered in place of Oscar.
— And seeing all my wealth, seeing that I have everything and even more, and knowing that it is the result of my good deeds, answer me this simple question: Are we paid too little or is it enough for good deeds?
— Grandpa, well, then I agree, it's enough! — Oscar answered, surprised and joyful, — and maybe they even pay too much if there's no place to put all those good bricks in the full shed!
Mickey and Oscar looked at Grandpa in astonishment. They didn't expect such an answer and fell into deep thought.
— But why does it seem to us that we are paid too little for good deeds? — Mickey asked.
— You're absolutely right, Mickey, — Grandpa replied, finishing his cup of tea, — It's not that we are paid too little for good deeds, but rather that the snakes pay a lot for bad deeds! And as time goes on, they will keep raising their prices, tempting and seducing inexperienced souls.
— Tell me, Oscar, are you paid enough by your snakes for your bad deeds? Is it sufficient? — Grandpa asked.
— Well, enough already! Those snakes aren't mine! And I won't do bad deeds anymore! — Oscar replied with annoyance. He continued, — but what I don't have, that's true. The more they pay, the stronger the ruin!" Oscar answered and laughed bitterly.
— So, it turns out that even for bad deeds, they don't pay us enough if there's always a shortage of bricks! — Grandpa laughed as well, — that's the answer to your question.
— Yes, it's really that simple, — Mickey said, — It means that on the magical sunny factory, we are given exactly as many bricks as we need, and even more. And I already have an excess in my little shed.
Our enchanted souls were very surprised but satisfied with such a simple answer from Grandpa. As they enjoyed the delicious apricot jam, they gazed thoughtfully and with delight at the beautiful flames dancing in Grandpa's fireplace.
Sell or do things yourself at the life fair?
Curious Oscar couldn't contain himself with his questions, drinking cup after cup of tea and depleting the reserves of jam in Grandpa's cellar. After glancing at a book that caught his interest, he continued to ask Grandpa his pressing questions.
— Grandpa, what's better and more profitable, running your own shop or doing good deeds at the fair of life? — entrepreneurial Oscar inquired.
— Running your own shop is a costly but interesting endeavor. Unfortunately, there's a temptation to start trading in bad deeds, and you already understand the consequences for your little house of life, Oscar. And when the sale of good deeds is slow, one feels tempted to sell some misdeed from the snake's list after all, the house needs to be built! And the most important thing is that I won't be the one doing the bad deed! Let others think about who does it. I merely offered and exchanged bricks for it! Who knows, maybe there won't be any more rain! — Grandpa chuckled.
— Yes, I always hoped for that too! — Oscar laughed in response.
— It's very difficult to resist temptation, which is why many merchants at the fair mix their deeds together, — Grandpa continued, — but I, my dear ones, understood this and simply discarded all the snake's pamphlets and only traded in good deeds. I also made sure my employees, the shopkeepers, didn't push anything bad and didn't use my name, hoping to quickly and abundantly receive their share of bricks. It was challenging at first, years went by, but gradually, more and more people started taking deeds and actions from my shop because they realized that rain wouldn't wash away my bricks, and their homes would always be warm and cozy.
— I can't wait for long, so I'd rather do good deeds myself and receive even if it's a small amount, but at least they'll be good and sturdy bricks, — Oscar said.
— Well done, Oscar, — Grandpa said and continued, — besides patience, you also need life experience to determine what you're trading, good deeds or bad, so that you don't get caught on the snake's hook and don't build yourself a sandcastle that will crumble at the first heavenly rain. Of course, we know that for good deeds, the merchant is also paid 'relatively little' in bricks, but they are eternal bricks.
Mickey and Oscar pondered over Grandpa's advice and decided that it was too early for them to open their own shop at the fair. They needed to gain experience first, and then they would see what the future held.
A landmark for life
After reading books in the green room and finishing all the tea, Mickey and Oscar continued their tour of the house. Grandpa showed them all the rooms and proudly displayed the beautiful paintings hanging in abundance on the walls of the rooms and corridors. They visited the lounge and, of course, the large, spacious, and bright kitchen where Grandpa prepared a delicious lunch for them.
— Grandpa, I've always thought, — Oscar began the conversation as he sat down at the large and beautiful dining table, — that those who have big houses live so well and splendidly! They have parties and balls! — Oscar said with envy and admiration.
— But you had a big castle, didn't you? What about that now? — Mickey asked, placing a spoonful of sour cream into his bowl of hearty borscht. However, Oscar only fell into thoughtful silence in response.
— You've raised an interesting topic, Oscar, — Grandpa said as he sat down at the table, praising his delicious borscht, — we are eternal souls, my children. I've lived for so many years, I can't even remember if it's a thousand or ten thousand years. It's just a matter of perception that it seems like celestial rains and hurricanes visit us frequently. In reality, it varies. We often have light and gentle showers that wash away the bricks and point out the flaws in our house of life. And hurricanes, they may come once every fifty years, or maybe once every hundred years to our magical kingdom. No one knows when it will hit your town or when it will hit my lake. Souls forget about it and build their castles with bad deeds, just to show off and make other inexperienced souls in our magical world jealous. They ignore the showers that wash away the bricks from their life's castles, as if it's meant to be. And these adversities only motivate inexperienced souls to work even harder at the fair of life and earn even more rotten bricks for their bad deeds…
— Yes, Grandpa, you're absolutely right, — Oscar interrupted, — after a shower, all I feel is anger and the desire to fly to the fair of life as quickly as possible. It doesn't matter what tasks I take on, as long as they pay more bricks. I take on any deed without discrimination, just to quickly patch up the holes in my house!
— Yes, Oscar, many people act that way, doing whatever comes their way, without considering others. They disregard and dismiss the main law of «do not do unto others what you do not wish for yourself». They brush it off like an annoying fly, — Grandpa disapprovingly shook his head and continued, — but in reality, the holes in our house of life are a good reason to reflect. Are the deeds we do at the fair of life the right ones? Have we made the right choices in our actions? And the heavenly rain helps us understand by washing away the impurities from our homes.
— With each passing hour, I grow to love the rain more and more, — Oscar joyfully said, asking Grandpa for another serving of delicious borscht.
— Yes, Oscar, the magical rain is our salvation, but not everyone understands this or pays attention. But when the celestial hurricane arrives, it's the final test for all our deeds and actions! No rotten brick can hide from it! Those souls in our magical world who have done good at the fair of life will continue their kind journey, and after the hurricane, they will be in their warm and cozy homes or grand castles. As for the rest, unfortunately, they remain amidst the ruins and start anew. And not just a hundred showers or a dozen hurricanes will pass in the infinite life of our enchanted souls before everyone understands and figures out what is good and what is bad for their house of life.