‘WHAT INHERITANCE WILL YOUR CHILDREN HAVE?’ By Danstan Wasobokha

The only son of a certain wealthy man wanted to inherit the father's business.  The old man gave him one condition to...


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The only son of a certain wealthy man wanted to inherit the father’s business.  The old man gave him one condition to fulfil: “Earn 10,000 dollars, show me the money and my multi-million dollar business is yours” 

Not long after, his son brought the money he had collected from his mother claiming he worked for it. His father who was relaxing by the fireplace, collected the cash and threw it into the oven. The two watched the fireplace until the whole cash was burnt to ashes.

He told his son to simply  go on and work for the money and bring it to him. The mother again gave him another $10,000 and told the boy to wait for some time, so he could disguise it and look worn out before seeing his father. 

When he eventually met his father with the money, the old man was at the same spot close to the fireplace.  The man took the cash and again, threw it into the fireplace,  and again the two watched the $10,000 burnt to ashes. Then he told his son to go, work and save $10,000  and show him and the inheritance will all be his.

The boy was furious knowing that his father was determined and stringent with the condition of working and saving up $10,000 before he could access his inheritance. 

The boy again met with his mother for advice. She was thinking of another option they could use to outsmart the old man,  when he finally told his mother not to worry and that he would go out and work and save the money for his father. 

The boy travelled to another town where he would was given an opportunity to do odd jobs because in that locality, nobody would believe him; the only son of a wealthy man doing menial job?

He spent years denying himself food, pleasure, good accommodation, designer-wear and every good life that a rich man’s child  would have enjoyed, just to save up the money for his father.  When he eventually came back, his mother hardly recognised her son, he looked old, thin and wretched. 

With that desperate condition he quickly went to present the money to his father who incidentally,  was seated in the very place close to the dollar-burning fireplace. He gave his father the money he had saved, having gone through pain and hunger. The old man took the money and again threw it into the oven. The boy dived headlong into the fire and brought the money back and exclaimed, “father you cannot burn my sweat.” The father replied, “you absolutely worked for this very one son, nobody will stand looking, seeing his  effort being burnt,  as you have done in the previous ones your mother helped you.” The old man feeling satisfied with his son’s  last action, willed all his wealth to him.

Moral Lesson

  1. People put value on things that cost them most.
  2. Wealth gotten through an easy way will soon end up in the oven.
  3. Before handing over your business to your child, first hand over wisdom to him/her.
  4. Like most of us with wonderful backgrounds, we often deny our children valuable experiences they need to succeed in life by too much pampering, saying “I don’t want them to experience what I experienced” forgetting that such conditions add up to making you what you are. Sometimes, create artificial scarcity to help harden your children up for tomorrow.  
  5. Don’t forget to share your story with your family  as your children will need it someday to solve life’s challenges.
  6. Wisdom and good name is the best inheritance you can give to your children.
  7. The billion dollar wealth handed over to your children without character and morals will end up in the hands of your servants and maids that possess them.
  8. Success is not taught in schools but through hard work, dedication, courage, focus, determination, resilience, diligence, honesty, perseverance, character, etc.

You’ll definitely succeed. To read more posts by Danstan, click HERE

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