The River of Gold

Once there were two men,
they both came of age to work and start their lives.
Both of them desired wealth and set out to ask the Oracle in a distant land how to attain the greatest wealth.
They both set off on their long journey.
Miguel, the first, looked for the best opportunities and the the most wealthy people to help him find the oracle and fund his journey promising them riches and favors. In many occasions he took advantage of less fortunate believing that his dream of wealth was the most important, and he must place it above all other things.

Omar, the second, travelled from town to town asking anyone if there was something he could help with for a small payment to fund his journey. He helped build a chapel, a school, and a home. He fell in love on the way and was wed. He soon had three children. He always had the oracle in the back of his mind and decided it was time to finish the journey.

Miguel arrived years before Omar. He entered her quarters and shouted demanding she appear.
"What is it you desire young Miguel?"

"To be wealthier and richer than all the Sultans and Kings of the Earth!"

"I can only give you what you don't have, I see you are very poor."

"Poor? surely I am not poor. I have had much success already working for the richest and most powerful. I deserve a Queen and a Royal Court!"

"How have you achieved this success?"

"I have not let anyone stand in my way, no one could stop me from my dream!"

"What do you desire from me?"

"What and where is the greatest treasure that I may make myself wealthy?"

"To the Northwest of here, the lies a river, of pure gold. You will make yourself richer than all the Sultans and Kings of the Earth."

"I will go and claim this river!"

And so he left to find the river of Gold. When he found it he was amazed to see it was just as the Oracle explained. He slowly dipped his hand into the flowing gold. When he pulled his hand out of the river, it was covered in blood.

Omar arriving many years later bowed before the seat of the Oracle gently pleading that if she saw fit to appear to him he had a desire to ask.
"What is it you desire?"

"I had originally set out to find thee to ask what is the greatest wealth?"

"I cannot give you that which you do not already have."

"I dont understand may lady, I am a poor man with no admiration to my name."

"You, Omar, you have already attained the greatest wealth."

"What is that?"

"You have already found the riches in the service of those you helped. You have helped construct a chapel where people will learn to change their lives for the better, a school where children will learn to be wise, and a home where people will learn love. You have attained the riches of sharing your heart with another. You have found the rubies in the kiss of your lover, and the diamonds in the moments spent with your children. You have found the silver in the deep conversations with your friends and the precious jewels in the moments of solitude where you learned the secrets of yourself. You have attained the golden moment in arriving here and fulfilling your original dream. You have found the greatest riches this life can offer. There is nothing more I can give."

Omar, now in tears, and smiling thanked the Oracle for helping him see clearly the blessings of riches in his life. He returned to his home and family, he returned to his heart, to his treasure.

Miguel who was standing outside her quarters heard the whole meeting. He stormed in and yelled demanding an explanation.

"I have gathered buckets and buckets of this gold and I cannot clean it of all the blood! You told me I would be richer that the Sultans and Kings of the Earth!"

"You are, Miguel. You have more gold than any man who has ever lived."

"I can't even use it! No one wants gold covered in blood!"

"Miguel in your heart you desired gold more than anything else. You were willing to take advantage of others, you sought the help of people only for your cause. You treated all as means to your end."

"I don't understand, why is the gold covered in blood? I have done nothing wrong but strive to have success to have a comfortable wealthy life."

"It is the testimony of the history of the world, that in the great river of gold, where the river stones are precious jewels, also flows the blood of the innocent."