One day, two boys were told by their father to dig a new well for the family. He wasn't just giving them busy work: the old well had good, sweet water, but the family's needs were increasing, and he worried it wouldn't be enough. He had already picked a spot, and now he showed the boys and gave them instructions. He said that it should be deep enough not to see the bottom, no matter how clear the water. They would dig while he worked in the barn or out in the fields, and when he returned, he would check their work and the water level. He informed them that he expected them to work hard until they had completed the task.
So, reluctant and grumbling, they trudged out to the site their father had selected for the new well as he headed to the barn. It had been a hot, dry summer; the parched soil was hard, and the sun was relentless as they took up their shovels. At first, they could barely scratch the surface, no matter how hard they stomped or pushed. But, mindful of their father's promise to check their progress, they kept digging.
It had been after lunch when they started, so they only had a partial day to dig. Thus, when their father came to inspect their work before going inside, they had a hole that barely reached the shortest boy's knees when he stood in it. And there was no sign of water.
The next day, the father woke the boys up and set them to their task again. And again, the soil was hard and the sun hot. They dug and dug and dug, and the hole gradually grew deeper. A brief lunch break, and they were back at it. When their father came in from the fields, the tallest boy could rest his arms at ground level when standing in the hole. But there was still no sign of water, and the soil was as hard as ever.
That night, though exhausted, the boys discussed the task ahead of them the coming day. They despaired of ever getting the well deep enough to strike water. The oldest boy had an idea: what if, instead of digging all the next day, they dug until their father was out of sight and then hauled water from the old well to fill the new well? His younger brother agreed, and they went to sleep, excited that the next day could be their last one digging.
When they woke, they feigned discouragement as they walked outside with their father and began digging. But they were secretly excited because their father had packed a lunch and planned to be gone all day, visiting the neighboring farm to help with the hay harvest. As soon as they were sure he couldn't see them, they rushed to the barn, grabbed two buckets, and began transferring water from the old well to the new well. It took them all day, but the water was rippling just a few inches below the surface when their father returned. The father was pleased with the apparent quality of their work and congratulated them.
In the coming days, the family drew water from both the old and new wells. Of course, water continually refilled the old well, but not the new one, and because the water was also seeping through the bottom, it was soon empty. The father put two and two together and scolded the boys. He told them they wouldn't get lunch the next day as they would be digging from sunup to sundown.
The next day, they walked to the new well at sunrise, dreading the day of toil ahead. But they were pleasantly surprised: the soil that had been so hard they could barely scratch it was now soft and easy to dig. And because of that, they made much quicker progress. Soon the well was so deep that the sun couldn't reach the bottom, and the cool shade and wet walls made it almost pleasant. It still took all day, but as the sun was going down and they heard their father's greeting as he came from the barn, water began to rush up from the ground beneath them. They laughed as they climbed up a rope toward dinner and bed.
The following day, the entire family walked outside as soon as it was light to check on the well. The water had filled the well and overflowed in a little stream running towards the pasture where they kept their animals. The water was already clear and even tasted better than the old well. They all laughed and rejoiced and decided to take the day off and picnic in the shade beside their new well.
Blessed 🙏💟