The Son

　　A wealthy man and his son loved to collect works of art. They collected everything from Picasso to Raphael. They’d often sit together and admire the great works of art.

　　When the Vietnam War broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle. The father was grieved (悲痛的) deeply for him. Later, a young man came with a package. He said “Sir, you don’t know me, but I’m the soldier whom your son saved. He often talked about you and your love for art.” The package was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. It’s a gift.

　　The man died a few months later. There was a great auction (拍卖) of his great works of art. On the platform sat the portrait of his son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel（敲击拍卖捶）, “we’ll start with this portrait. Who’ll bid （出价） for this picture？”There was a silence. Then a voice shouted “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.” But still the auctioneer continued, “The son! Who’ll take the son?” Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man. “I’ll give you $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. Won’t someone bid $20? “The crowd was becoming angry. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!”

　　A man shouted, “Now let’s get on with the collection! The auctioneer laid down his gavel “Sorry, the auction is over”. “What about the paintings?” “When called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret in the will. I wasn’t allowed to reveal it until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man whoever took the son, gets everything!”