Juventus and the fairies

   Juventus was a small farmer who led a very humble life in the rural area of a small town. He was not financially good enough to invest in his land: he worked in very precarious conditions. He had only two helpers who worked for him: one of them was old and did little in the service; the other, Adamias, was a very simple man with weak physical constitution. The two were solitary in the world and only worked in that land in exchange for housing and food since Juventus could not afford them. The small production of the land barely made up for the basic expenses of the house. Juventus was always complaining about life. He said that he could not make the land produce more if he had no more servants to plow the land and cultivate the crop. He regretted that he could not buy good seed, he regretted that he did not have the money to buy good quality fertilizer, he regretted having to use old hoes, damaged shovels, and he was very sorry.

    One morning, very sad and, regretting, as always, Juventus sat on the floor of the kitchen balcony and dozed, when suddenly a crackling sound woke him. It was like little drops of water falling on a smooth floor, but the sound was stronger. When he opened his eyes, toward the sun, he saw a light moving from side to side and from top to bottom of irregular shape. He thought for a moment that it was a firefly since the movements were consistent. The light was then almost stopped in one place and he can understand what it was. It seemed to have wings. She was thin, white, and delicate plus she had a jovial face. It was a fairy! Hard to recognize since she was in front of the sun, but she was a beautiful fairy in gold clothing. Even dazzled by the strong rays of the sun, Juventus stared at the fairy.

   --- Juventus, I'll help you. You deserve a chance. You will no longer need to regret it. --- Said the fairy.

   --- But... help how? You're just a freak! --- Juventus did not know that the real mission of a fairy is to determine the fate of the people.

   The fairy then said:

   --- You will have many farmers, good seed, good quality manure and new tools! It's not wonderful!

   --- Clear! --- He exclaimed, his eyes bright with joy.

    But things could not be that easy. It was then that the sister of the little fairy appeared. She wore a red dress; she had a beautiful face but more mature and austere. Her arrival was sudden. She was soon warning her sister:

   --- This is not going to work.

    --- Yes it will! Nothing can go wrong when he has everything he needs. --- Replied the golden sister.

    --- You know I have to impose my conditions so that he can keep everything he wins. It's my job! --- He firmly finished the red fairy. After a quick silence, the red fairy looked at Juventus analyzing it. In a tone of sovereign voice she said: --- You will have power of order, but do not let the impatience of you take hold; you will have those who work for you, but do not let it go away from you; you will have benefits, but do not let your appreciation be exacerbated; you shall have a full table, but let not thine eyes grow larger than hers; you will be able to provide pleasures of the flesh, but do not allow yourself to lose your control; you will have evidence among others, but do not forget to remember your past; and, finally, you will have repentance, but do not let yourself desire the way of another.

   --- What did she say? --- Asked Juventus. The red fairy made a face of complete desistance. He had not understood nothing what she'd said.

   --- Do not mind! She was just scaring you. --- The golden fairy explained.

    --- You know they cannot stand it. It's always like that. And I end up winning. --- Said the red fairy to her sister.

    --- Not Juventus. He's a good man. You'll do everything right after you have everything you need. --- She spoke to his red sister. Then she turned to Juventus. --- Is not it, Juventus?

   --- Clear! I'll do everything right when I have what I need. --- He reinforced.

   --- Now lie down and go back to sleep. --- She said imperiously to the red fairy.

   --- But... the servants, and the tools… --- He asked.

    --- Sleep, Juventus! Let's take care of everything! --- The golden fairy explained to him sweetly.

    Juventus decided to obey the fairy. After about fifteen minutes of sleep he woke up. Nothing seemed to have changed around him. He thought it was a silly dream so he did not pay much attention. He got up and went inside.

   Minutes later, someone knocked on his door. He was a farmer from Juventus.

    --- Good Morning! I have two bags of corn seeds here and I came to give to you. They will grow old and I know you need it. --- Said the man.

    --- But I cannot afford... --- Explained Juventus.

   --- You do not have to pay anything now. When you reap, you send me a hand of corn that's paid for. My wife loves to make mush. --- The farmer explained.

   Juventus grinned and took the bags inside.

   Shortly after, he decided to go to the city. He had nothing to do there but he did not know what to do. As he passed the door of the farm shop, he heard his name.

   --- Juventus! O Juventus! --- A man shouted from the door of the shop.

   There were many men at the storefront. Juventus had never seen the place as crowded as that day. He looked around to find which one had called him: it was Fael, the shop owner who waved at him. Juventus went to see what it was.

   --- What is it, man? --- He asked.

--- Mr. Quincúncio moved to the coast and left the farm. He’s trying to sell; the employees of the Araruta farm are all unemployed, they want work because they need it urgently.

   --- But I cannot afford it. --- Said Juventus.

   --- They wait to receive the harvest.

   --- I do not have the money to buy fertilizer. It's very expensive, you know.

   --- I can sell spun. You pay me when you sell the crop.

    Juventus found everything so strange that he decided to investigate. He did not believe in Fael. He went into the shop and asked the men who were there.

   --- Do you want to work for me?

   --- Yes! --- Everyone answered.

   I can only pay when I pick. Can you wait? --- Explained Juventus.

   --- We can wait. We just do not have where to stay... --- One of them was anticipated.

   --- I have big accommodation there in my garden. I just do not have food for everyone. --- Said Juventus.

    --- We won a lot from the Araruta farm; Mr. Quincúncio gave corn, manioc, potatoes, beans, salami, eggs, cabbage, even rice! --- Another farmer explained.

    Juventus noticed that they had tools in their hands like: shovels, hoes, and scrapers.

   --- Are these tools yours? --- Asked Juventus.

   --- Yes. The boss bought us a week before he sent us away. They are brand new. --- Answered a chubby.

   --- He had no way to pay everything so he gave the tools as part of the payment.

   Juventus took the fertilizer and called the farmers home. By this time he already knew why he had gone to town.

   The next day, they woke up early to work. They plowed, fertilized, sowed, and planted. Juventus was very excited.

   The next day, in the field, Juventus noticed that among the employees there was one that was a little slower than the others. It was the chubby one. Sometimes he stopped to breathe, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and drank water. Juventus was getting annoyed with that slowness. It was then that he approached the boy and told him furiously:

   --- What's the matter with you? Are you thinking you're at rest? Everyone is working only you who are relaxing there! --- The nearby workers stopped the service when they heard. They kept looking at Juventus who showed no regret.

   A short time later, the same day, the chubby again pausing to breathe. Juventus moved even more furiously:

    --- You are deaf? --- He shouted into the man's ear. --- I said it's for work! Not to rest!!! This time Juventus's shout was heard from afar, and everyone stopped to look at it.

    A few days later Juventus started to no longer go to work with the employees. He leaned his hoe against the wall and there she stayed for a long time. He stood on the porch watching the servants as far as the eye could see. He would just leave when he was going to eat and then come back. Always lying in the hammock resting which lasted for many weeks.

   It was then that the harvest came. The ears of corn from the Juventus harvest were huge and lush. You never see such large, yellow grains. There was no mention of anything else in the city. Juventus sold the entire harvest in two days. No one had ever sold such a large crop in such a short time. Most bought to use as seed in the hope of producing equally epic farming.

    With enough money in his pocket, Juventus bought more seeds and more fertilizer; paid the employees and improved his house with a good renovation. His table was full now; every day had exquisite dishes, he hired a professional cook. His dispensation was full. He had learned to eat even things he had never had a chance to meet. They were exotic delicacies, royal desserts, noble birds, imported fruits, the best nuts, in short, kingly things. Juventus spent the day eating. To each song in his mouth was a moan of pleasure: "Hmm!" Of course over time he became fat. In the city, some did not even recognize him. All this gluttonous lust was never shared: only he and no one else in the house sat at the table or enjoyed the same tasty pleasures. The peasants and servants ate the same plain food as before. Neither Adamias, who was in charge, his right-hand man on the farm, who managed the farmers, nor the man who was trusted by Juventus could eat with him.

    Another time passed and Juventus acquired great appreciation for alcoholic beverages. He always ordered imported wines, white lighting from the best stills in the country, sophisticated liqueurs... Every day he was drunk. In the morning he had his drinks. Sometimes by day he was already falling through the tables.

   The next harvest arrived and again the best in the region. Juventus was very happy enjoying the life of new-rich. He made some trips where he bought expensive clothes and imported shoes. He had met beautiful women who stayed with him for his money and made a point of walking with them in the center of the city to show off.

   Over time there came a new crop of even greater success. The production of the field of Juventus was enviable again: enormous spikes of big and beautiful grains. There was not even a hint of any kind of plague. This time, Juventus kept the money well. He had not spent anything on it, and even with special alcoholic drinks he spent his rich money. He had eaten as the servants and the same food as they. Sometimes they even ate poorly, without mixing or broken rice. That's because Juventus wanted to save money. Every penny that came in he made up and kept.

   Once, one of his employees became ill. Like the other employees, it had not been possible for him to keep a reserve of money so he could not pay for a consultation much less how to buy medication. One of them arrived in Juventus to ask him to buy the drug:

   --- I have nothing to do with it! Everyone who buys what they need. If he has already spent his salary wait for the next one. --- Juventus said coldly.

   After so much burning in fever, the man dawned dead the morning of the third day.

    Seven days later, Juventus woke late and went to the kitchen eating something as usual. He noticed that everything was different. The cook was not there and there was no food in the kitchen. It was on the porch and saw no employee working. His plantation, which was midway through the harvest, was completely dry. In the lodge there was no sign of people: clothes, shoes... totally empty. Quickly, concern came over him with his money. It was to see: it was gone, everything!!! Even sacks of corn that were left over from the last harvest were all taken away. There was nothing in the dispensing much less imported wines left. Also the only two employees he had before they saw the others, no one was there. Juventus started to cry. He remembered everything he had had and everything he had not had before the fairies appeared to him. He analyzed the situation and compared with the time that it was just him and the two employees, when he had no seeds or money to buy fertilizer. But now it was worse, worse. He now did not even have the basic living expenses. Not even the two old employees were there anymore. And the most terrible: he now had the taste of a prosperous life and lost everything!

    Juventus continued his mediocre and solitary life. He picked up the hoe hitherto forgotten and planted a few feet of corn with some seeds he'd found falling into the warehouse. He cooked some manioc that remained in the hamper and ate. He was a ragged man (even his fine clothes had disappeared) living on crumbs, almost starving.

   Next to the property of Juventus there was a farm for sale about two years ago. It was a very bad land because it was already close to pebbly mountains. It was a floor almost unproductive of so much rubble that had.

   One day, Juventus went to the city to see if he could buy a little fertilizer and seeds as he had in the past. Mr. Fael did not even wait for him to finish speaking because there was no chance. When he passed the property for sale, he noticed that there were many people working on it. He went over to see: all his former employees were there doing their laundry. Juventus bowed his head and went home.

    Sometime later, the neighboring property was all green covered with watermelon feet. The floor looked like a large green rug embroidered with huge green pearls. The scent filled the air that reached the house of Juventus. The plantation was so beautiful it looked like an oil painting. Juventus looked at those sweet emeralds on the floor and thought: "I've never seen anything like it! This can only be a divine work! How I wish I had a beautiful plantation like this! "

    When it came to harvest day Juventus made it a point to go see. He stayed close by watching the big watermelons sold in the city. The eyes of the inhabitants shone when they saw the wonderful works of nature. The day did not have to come to an end, and all had already been sold. The owner returned home with his pockets overflowing with money and a grin on his face. Juventus watched everything from afar bleeding from the heart. He thought he had once been as prosperous as the man with his corn crop of envy. Out of pockets and empty stomach, he came home crying; he laid on the porch as he used to, and fell asleep. He awoke to the crackling noise of the fairies.

   --- Juventus! Wake up! --- Said the red fairy.

   --- Ah! You again? --- He exclaimed.

   --- Not content to see us? --- Asked the golden fairy.

   --- You took everything I got. How could she be glad to see them?

   --- But look... --- said the red fairy furious when she was interrupted by her sister.

    --- Silence! Let me tell you. Is not it enough to be in this situation you still want to torture him? --- She said firmly. Then he returned to Juventus: --- Juventus! My sister warned you all right. So you do not... for you to avoid! But you ignored her! We gave you all the good and the best. It was only you to control yourself.

   The red fairy approached and began:

    --- I asked you to be patient, and you were infuriated by a humble farmer; I asked you not to get away from work and you retired your hoe; I asked you not to have an exacerbated appreciation of the matter and you were miserly; I asked you not to let your eyes grow larger than your belly, and you plunged into gluttony; I asked you not to indulge in the addiction of the pleasures of the flesh and you gave in to lust; I asked you to remember how modest it was in the past and you became proud of your power; I asked you to be humble in accepting your financial situation and you were envious of your neighbor. As she spoke, Juventus bowed, closing in a fetal position. In the end, he could not stand it and started to cry softly. Anguished crying, he felt great pain in his soul.

    --- Juventus! --- Said the golden fairy sweetly, moved by the situation of Juventus. --- I cannot change the rules to help you. I'm sorry!

   Juventus was crying until he fell asleep.

   The next day he managed to sell his property and moved to a city far away. He bought a small house and worked on the coffee farm of a small producer in the area. He was a very good man and he treated every employee well. He lived alone and had no relatives. Juventus had become the person in charge of the farming, work that had performed with great seriousness. His commitment resulted in a large and prosperous harvest which earned him the appreciation of his employer. He was now his right arm. The two developed a great friendship and consideration.

    Just over a year later, the owner of the estate died leaving the property as an inheritance for Juventus. He made good use of everything: he kept the servants, treating them very well, eating with them, and giving assistance to everything they needed. Everyone in town knew him as a great boss. All the peasants in the city wanted to work for him. Juventus led a modest life but was not lacking the necessary: had a property that produced well; had good employees; weekends he would stroll around town to date and drink with friends and he had a happy life!

The End