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How the Wicked Sons were Duped.

Watercolor illustration of an elderly man with a long white beard, wearing a faded blue robe, sitting at a table surrounded by four younger men, his sons, dressed in similar robes but in shades of green, brown, red, and yellow. The sons are looking at him with disdainful expressions. The table is mostly bare. Soft, diffused lighting, watercolor paper texture visible.

Once upon a time, there was a very rich old man. He thought he was about to say goodbye to the world, so he called his sons together and shared all his money and things with them. But guess what? He didn’t go anywhere for many years! And those years weren’t very happy ones. He was tired from being old, but even worse, his sons were not very nice to him. They were being mean and selfish!

Before, they used to try to be the best son ever, hoping to get more money from their dad. But now that they had their share, they didn’t care how soon he went away. They even thought it would be better if he left because he was just extra work and cost them money. And they let the poor old man know exactly how they felt.

One day, the old man bumped into a friend and told him all his troubles. The friend felt really bad for him and promised to help. He said he would think about it and come back soon with a plan. A few days later, the friend came back with four big bags filled with rocks and sand.

Watercolor illustration of the friend in brown cloaks carrying four large burlap sacks tied at the top (symbolizing the ’treasure’ bag) toward the elderly man’s cottage. The elderly man (blue robe) is waiting at the door, looking hopeful. A stone path leads to the cottage. Natural, earthy tones, subtle watercolor washes.

“Listen, my friend,” he said. “Your sons will hear I came to visit and ask what happened. You must tell them that I was paying back money you lent me a long time ago, and that you now have a lot more money than you thought! Keep these bags safe and don’t let your sons have them while you’re alive. You’ll see, they will start being much nicer to you. Goodbye for now! I’ll be back soon to see how you’re doing.”

Watercolor illustration of the four sons (green, brown, red, yellow robes) attending to their father (blue robe, white beard). They are bringing him food and water, helping him walk, and fanning him. The old man is looking at them with a knowing, slightly amused expression. Bright, contrasting colors, dynamic watercolor brushstrokes.

When the sons heard about this new treasure, they started being super kind and helpful to their father, even more than before! And they stayed that way until the day the old man finally went to sleep forever. Then, they eagerly opened the bags, hoping to find lots of money.

Watercolor illustration of the four sons (green, brown, red, yellow robes) gathered around four open burlap sacks, looking shocked and disappointed. The sacks are spilling out rocks and sand. The elderly man’s bed (now empty) is in the background. A somber, desaturated color scheme, detailed watercolor rendering of the rocks and sand.

But all they found were rocks and sand!

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