— So, it turns out that not all owners of big and beautiful castles deserve our envy, admiration, and emulation? — Oscar asked and eagerly began his second dish.
— Yes, Oscar, there are castles made of good bricks, and there are those made of sand. Take my guesthouse, for example. It's as grand as a palace, standing for centuries without being shaken by even a dozen hurricanes, — Grandpa modestly praised his home.
— Then we'll take you as our role model, Grandpa, and you'll be our guide at the fair of life! — Oscar and Mickey simultaneously exclaimed, bursting into laughter.
— That's wonderful, my dear children! I'm pleased with your choice, — Grandpa replied, joining their laughter. He continued, — but remember, the most important thing is not for my palace and beautiful lake garden to be your guides in life, but rather my deeds and actions that have allowed me to possess all of this for centuries to serve.
— Agreed, Grandpa! — Oscar and Mickey replied in unison.
— Get to know the owners of your beloved castles of life more closely, — Grandpa continued, — learn about their deeds and actions. Find out what they do at the fair of life, and then you'll understand whether their castles are made of sand, merely tempting and seducing the inexperienced, or if they are built with good and everlasting bricks. The rain and the hurricane will come and put everyone in their rightful place, some in the puddle and others in the honorable dais, — Grandpa said with a smile.
— The puddle is my favorite spot! — Oscar laughed, — but now, don't expect me to be the butt of your jokes anymore!
— But not all doers of good deeds can be found in beautiful and grand houses like mine, — Grandpa continued, pouring tea for everyone and treating them to dessert, — some souls live their lives, bringing joy to themselves and others through their good deeds and actions, and yet they don't even bother to collect bricks for themselves. They live in ordinary and inconspicuous, yet cozy homes. Finding such souls and gaining their wisdom is not difficult, and we know how to do it — read more books, and there you will encounter them and understand the eternal wisdom of good bricks. Perhaps they will become your guides at the fair of life.
— We have you, Grandpa, — Oscar said, hinting at his reluctance to read books.
— Don't worry, Oscar. Books are fascinating. Once you get into them, you'll enjoy it! — Mickey replied with a smile.
— That's why you shouldn't be surprised or envious of others' castles, — Grandpa continued, — do good deeds, take your time, and everything will come to you as well.
— Grandpa, why didn't you tell us all this earlier? — Oscar asked, sounding a bit offended.
— Children, people have been telling you about these things since your early childhood, but you simply didn't want to listen, — Grandpa answered, — and one more question, Oscar: Have you truly understood everything, and will your own home be as strong and cozy as mine and Mickey's?
— Of course, it will, I'll do my best! — Oscar replied and laughed, — the most important thing is to have the right orientation in life, and then we won't be tempted by rotten sand castles!
There are no better things among the good ones
— Thank you, Grandpa, for your kind advice! We will remember them and put them into practice, — Oscar happily said. But after thinking for a moment, he unexpectedly asked, — but what should we do about the snakes? Earlier, you told us that evil only begets more evil and that we shouldn't respond to snakes in the same way. However, they won't leave us alone. They'll provoke us to do bad things and tempt us with something new, but bad.
— Nothing needs to be done about them, — Grandpa also unexpectedly replied, — we ourselves need to learn not to engage in bad deeds and not to blame others for pushing them onto us or making us do them. It all depends on us.
— Okay, Grandpa, we will learn! — Oscar said joyfully, — and we will only do the very, very best deeds!
— Oscar, you're always drawn to the superlatives. Whether it's the biggest castle or the best deeds, — Grandpa said with a smile and continued, — the point, my children, is not to seek some special, exceptional good deeds, the very best or the trendiest ones, as if they would overshadow our bad actions and patch up the holes in our house. The essence lies in the fact that any deed, action, or word that earns us good bricks is invaluable. So, Oscar, how will you determine the very, very best deed?
— Well, if we're talking about all the good deeds, I guess the one that pays the most? — Oscar asked.
— Not necessarily, — Grandpa replied, — that's exactly how the snakes will catch you, by slipping in their rotten brick. They love those who want the very, very best and want it quickly! Many problems in the house of our lives stem from our impatience and the desire to quickly showcase ourselves in a special way to others. It's not a bad thing, and it's part of who we are, but what matters is the actions we take on the fairground of life to achieve that. Our impatience often leads us back to the snakes. All good deeds are equally good, and we are paid more or less equally for them.
— Okay, we won't rush and we'll be careful in choosing our deeds and actions, Grandpa! Now, I definitely understand everything, — Oscar exclaimed happily, — I will definitely learn and be able to choose only those deeds that will allow me to build a strong and reliable house of life. And even if it takes a long time, I will patiently work towards that day with my good deeds! Thank you, my beloved Grandpa, and from now on, I will always listen to the elders and read books!" Oscar embraced his grandpa, closing his eyes with delight, envisioning the wonderful, big, and secure house of life he would have.
Oscar improves the fairy tale world
Time passed. Oscar made an effort to do only good deeds because he now knew exactly how to choose them among the rest. In the evenings, he read books and increasingly listened to the advice of his elders. Furthermore, Oscar started keeping a journal of his deeds and actions. He carefully recorded everything he did on the fairground of life. And if ever the bricks in his house crumbled, he quickly found the reason in his journal and avoided doing those bad deeds again. Sometimes, he had to experience the consequences of his bad actions, but Oscar always tried to understand the reasons behind them. Most importantly, in such situations, he always applied the rule «Do not do unto others what you do not want done unto yourself». He consistently found solutions to problems and conflicts through good deeds, and everyone remained satisfied.
The energy of life, entrepreneurship, and restlessness of Oscar, combined with his desire and ability to do good deeds, unexpectedly benefited their town and the entire fairy tale world. Having completed the construction of his grand house of life, he didn't spend his time aimlessly indulging in amusements and entertainments like many others do. Our Oscar decided to rid the magical world of bad deeds! However, not with malice towards the snakes, as everyone used to do, but by following his grandfather's advice. After all, the snakes were not to blame for being born that way. Oscar didn't banish the snakes, instead, he resolved to teach all the town's inhabitants, all the souls, how to distinguish good deeds from bad ones, just as his grandfather had taught him. Mickey provided him with support and interest since he had read so many books and could easily discern between good and bad. Oscar took to the squares, delivering lectures and visiting homes with advice, while Mickey helped him write speeches and articles. Together, they actively spread pamphlets containing good deeds and actions, providing reasoning, and sharing instructive stories.