The Son's Painting at the Auction

A MAN died who was extremely wealthy. His will was full of art pieces—very expensive art pieces. This man had a son who had died before him, a son whom he loved, and this son would have been his only heir. Soon after the death of the wealthy man a public auction was held that included the valuable art pieces. People came from all over the world because of those works of art. Over a thousand people gathered to participate in the auction. The auctioneer began the auction by offering up for sale a portrait, painted by the deceased son. It was a rather plain painting—not at all like the other expensive art pieces. The floor opened for bids, but there weren’t any. After what seemed like a long silence, a little old man walked down the aisle. As he neared the front of the room, the auctioneer recognized him. He had been the servant of the wealthy man.

He meagerly and almost shamefully offered a couple of dollars from his pocket for the child-drawn portrait. The auctioneer hit his gavel and said, “Sold!” The many people in the room shifted with excitement, preparing for the main part of the selling to begin. But much to their surprise and chagrin, the auctioneer hit the gavel again and said, “Auction over.” The room filled with loud chatter and confusion, wondering at the early close of the auction. The auctioneer went on to explain. In the will of the master, the instructions specifically said to offer for sale the painting drawn by his son first, and that whoever gets the painting of his son gets the whole art collection. The master had decided well in advance that whoever loved his son and accepted him could not only have his son’s work, but all the other benefits that belonged to the father.