IES JUAN ANTONIO FERNANDEZ - GRONG VIDEREGAENDE SKOLE

 Just another day, Count Lucanor told Patronio like this:

Patronio, a man has proposed to trade with me and he has explained how to achieve it. And it is such a profitable business that, may God see to it as foreseen! it will help me so, since every step I take in that business it will render some profit, and in the end richness will be such that the achievement as a whole will turn out huge.

The Count told Patronio what the business consisted of and how to achieve it. And then Patronio answered back:

Milord Count, I always heard we should abide by precise things and never rely on a mere illusion, otherwise it will happen to us as to Lady Rogue.

The Count asked what was wrong with Lady Rogue and Patronio answered:

Milord, once upon a time there was a woman called Lady Rogue who was poorer than richer. One day she went out to the market carrying a jar of honey on her head. On her way, she decided to sell that jar of honey and buy some eggs, which, in due time, should provide hens, and with the money she got from selling the hens, she should buy some sheep, so she went on and on and on… buying with the profits she got until she thought herself richer than any of her neighbours. So she decided that she could get good suitors for her children with all that wealth, thus some fine day she would walk along the streets with her sons-in-law and sisters-in-law, and people would say on seeing her:

 One day, Count Lucanor said to Petronio:

 - Petronio, I have been promised that, if I travel to certain place, I will be given some money that would be of great help for me. However, I fear that if I stop at that place for some moments, no matter how brief my stop there be, I could put my life much at risk so I strongly ask you for advice about this matter.

- Sir- said Petronio- to do what it should be most convenient for you, let me tell you what happened to certain man who had to cross a river when he was carrying some precious stones.

The count asked him to tell him what had happened to this man and Petronio began his story in this way:

Sir, once there was a man walking loaded down with a big bag: this bag contained a big amount of precious stones and the load was so heavy that he was having big difficulties in carrying it. At certain moment of his journey, he had to cross a river and he had no choice but to cross it .Because of the heaviness of his load, when he reached  the middle of the river, he began quickly to sink into it.

One person who was at the river shore watching this scene began to yell at him:

-          Listen to me, my friend, if you don´t drop the bag you are carrying over your shoulders, you will drown without remedy!

But the one who was carrying the precious stones was so fool that he didn´t realise that if he died drown, he not only would lose the load he was carrying but his own life, while if he dropped the bag, he would lose the stones but he would save his life. At the end, he was so greedy that, not wanting to lose the bag, he died drown.

-          As for you, my Lord- Petronio went on saying-, although there is nothing bad about wanting those goods and money, you´d better not stay in that place if your life is at risk. Risking one´s life is just sensible when protecting your honour or in order to accomplish an unavoidable obligation ; risking one´s life out of greediness or foolishness is just not appreciating the true value of life.