By Steve Price
The pearl merchant loves his pearls. He travels far and wide, braving many circumstances and conditions in his life for rare pearls. He has been robbed at times for his precious possessions, and then begins to collect them all over again.
But then, one day he is told of this magnificent pearl that is in a shop in an obscure little village. He travels for days to get to this village, fearfully hoping and praying he will not be robbed, dreaming of the initial moment when he will gaze upon this jewel of great beauty.
Tired and hungry, he finally arrives in the village. He doesn’t ask for the nearest eating establishment or the local hotel, but the exact location of the shop. At last, some one knows of the shop he is seeking and gives him good directions. Hoisting his pearl display case upon his back, he runs as fast as he can down through the middle of the town and out to the last street. There is the little shop and the owner is closing the door, locking it for the night. He rushes up to the little man and begs him to reopen his shop and let him see this Magnificent Pearl that has driven him for days. The little man smiles and unlocks the old door and they enter the shop. He goes behind the counter and pulls out a dusty wooden box. Blowing off the dust, he fishes out a key from his pocket and carefully opens the latch. The pearl merchant is almost beside himself, his hands are shaking in anticipation.
The shop keeper slowly opens the lid and then turns the box so the merchant can see the pearl. There laying on a piece of purple velvet is the most beautiful Pearl in the world. The merchant gasps. He knows already that there is no other pearl greater or more magnificent than this One.
“May I?” he asks the shop keeper.
“Of course.” He lifts the Pearl from its exquisite berth and drops it into the merchant’s trembling hand. The merchant closes his hand around the Pearl, fearful of dropping it because his hand is shaking so. After a few moments of calm breathing, he opens his hand to look at it.
Indeed, there is no other pearl as awesome as this One. He needs no further examination, he looks up at the shop keeper’s smiling face. “Is it for sale?”
“Oh, yes.”
“How much?”
“Well, what do you have?”
The merchant reluctantly hands the Pearl back to the shop keeper and takes down his pearl case. He opens it and shows them to the smiling old man.
“Oh, yes, hmmm, very nice, oh my, exquisite little jewels these …” He picks them up, one by one, admiring each and commenting. He finally stops and looks at the merchant.
“Well? How much?” awkwardly the merchant asks.
“I’m afraid it will cost you all that you have here for that one pearl.” The old man still smiles but a look of seriousness is in his eyes.
The merchant laughs. He dances around the shop, shouting with joy. “I’ll take it! I’ll take it!!”
The shop keeper smiles inquisitively at him. “Why are you so happy?”
“Because I have found what I have always been looking for and I was so afraid that when I found it I could not have it.”
“Why were you afraid of that?” The shop keeper asks, but the wisdom shining in his eyes reveals he knows the answer already.
“Because I thought it would cost me more than what I had.”
© 2005 Gary S. Price
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