Once upon a time there was a jeweler's apprentice who worked very hard for his master. In the mornings he got up very early to sweep out the workroom and the shop and prepare everything for the customers that never came. The land had been suffering from a drought for many years and few people had enough to eat, let alone enough to buy intricately made jewelry. But the Jeweler and his apprentice waited patiently for their fortunes to change. For in years gone by the Jeweler had been highly sought after and paid princely sums for his wondrous creations. But now the Jeweler could only imagine the fantastical things he wanted to make, and all the apprentice could do was sweep the shop in the morning, and then go out looking for roots or berries in the forest to supplement their meager supply of food.
One day while out looking for late season berries, the apprentice came across a richly dressed man on a horse who seemed to be in some trouble as to which way he should go.
'Come here, boy.' The man called out to him. 'Tell me where the nearest village is, for I have lost my way.'
The apprentice politely bowed to the man--who was surely a noble--and said, 'The village is not far, milord. An it please thee, I will lead you to it.' They traveled a short way through the forest and soon arrived at the village.
'Good,' said the man on the horse. 'But now my horse is thirsty. Where is the well?' The apprentice bowed again and motioned for the man to follow him. But when they reached the well there was a great commotion among the villagers, for their well had finally dried up after these many years of drought.
The apprentice turned back to the nobleman and said, 'The village well is dry, milord. But if you will follow me, there should be water enough for your horse at my master's house.' The apprentice did not mention that there would only be water enough for the horse: after that was gone, the apprentice and his master would have nothing left. The man on the horse nodded curtly and continued following the apprentice back to the Jeweler's shop where his horse did indeed drink up the last of the water.
'What is the name of your Master?' the man asked the apprentice.
'Master Jeweler Borov, milord.'
'And does your master have much work for you?'
'As much as can be had in this drought, milord.'
'A pretty reply, but your manners do you and your master credit--even in these fallen times. You have been of great aid to me. What is it that you desire above all, boy?'
The apprentice was greatly confused. But he answered in all seriousness, 'Rain, milord. I would have rain.'
The man snorted in disbelief. 'You do not ask for the riches of the earth? Everlasting life and the youth to enjoy it? What you desire above all is rain?'
'What would I do with riches, milord? My master and I might live comfortably for a while--but how would that serve us when all around us perish from this drought? And what would I do with everlasting life, milord? It seems to be a great evil when all that you are assured of is seeing those around you perish from the passage of time. I know you jest, milord, when you ask me what I want above all. But I would have rain.'
The man stared at him for some time. Whatever he saw seemed to please him for he laughed as he swung himself onto his horse. 'You would have rain? That is beyond my power, little one. But perhaps you and your master might make use of these?' And before he rode off he tossed to the apprentice a small velvet sack the kind of which precious jewels are kept in. Waving away the dust of the man's passage, the apprentice pulled open the mouth of the bag and upended it into his hand.
Out spilled pearl after pearl of perfect luminescence and iridescent fire--each like the brilliant glow of the moon in its nightly journey across the sky. Never had the apprentice seen such magnificence, and when he showed the pearls to his master, even he could not recall seeing anything like them. The old man's heart wept within him to see such divine inspiration come to him at the end of his days. What wonders he could have designed when he was a younger man! But now his plans were like dust in his mouth, and finally he began to weep openly as the apprentice carefully put each pearl back in its velvet bag.
'What would you have with them?' the apprentice asked.
'Nothing. They will have nothing to do with me.' was his master's strange reply. 'You must decide how best to use them.' Saying this, the master walked slowly up the stairs to his bedchamber where he shut the door, even though it was only 2 in the afternoon.
To be continued
part 2
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