Felix Esquibel, San Pablo, Colorado

Once upon a time, there was a man whose family consisted only of his wife, their five-year-old son and his elderly father. 

One day, the daughter-in-law decided to separate the grandfather, placing him in a different house. Some days the family brought him food and other days they neglected to do so. As the days got colder, the family neglected the grandfather entirely, leaving him to suffer tremendously. 

One day his young grandson decided to visit the grandfather, who looked down at the grandson and pleaded:  

 — “Grandson, go and please find an old rag to cover me. I am freezing from the cold.” 

The grandson immediately ran back to his house to search for some type of cover. There, he found a rug, which he took to his father and said:

—“Father, would you please cut this rug in half.”

— “Why do you need me to do that?” asked the Father, “What do you plan to do with that half of a rug?

—“I would like to take it to my grandfather, since he is cold,” said the grandson.

—Puzzled, the father said, “Why don’t you take the entire rug to your grandfather,” 

—“No, I can’t take him the entire rug,” reasoned the grandson, “I would like you to cut it in half because I want to save the other half for you, when you are old like grandfather. When that happens, I will be able to take that other half to you to cover you from the cold.” 

The grandson’s thoughtfulness, deep empathy and his quick response revealed to the father the disgraceful neglect. With this realization, the father prepared a room in his own house and immediately brought the grandfather in, providing the necessary care. From that time on, he cared for his father, night and day never forgetting the lesson taught by his five-year-old son.  

El Muchacho y El Abuelito

Este era un hombre que no tenía más familia que su esposa y un hijito de cinco años y tenia a su anciano padre que lo asistían en la casa, pero la nuera lo apartó retirao de la casa onde vivían ellos, en otra pieza, y allá le mandaban de comer algunos días, otros días no le mandaban y en tiempos fríos no cuidaban de él, y él sufría mucho. Un día se arrimó su nietecito a donde él estaba y le dijo el anciano:

—Hijito. búscame una garra ai pa cobijarme. Me estoy helando de frío.

El muchachito fué corriendo a las dispensas a buscar alguna garra y halló un pedazo de jerga y se lo llevó a su padre y le dice: 

—Córteme esta jerga en medio.

—¿Pa qué? ¿Qué vas a hacer con ese pedazo?

—Voy a llevárselo a mi abuelito, porque tiene frío.

—Pues llévasela entera.

—No— le dijo—, no la llevo toda. Quiero que me la corte en la mitá porque quiero guardar el otro pedazo pa cuando usté esté como mi abuelito. Entonces se lo llevo a usté pa que se cobije.

Aquella respuesta del muchachito fué suficiente para que el hombre conociera la ingratitú qus estaba haciendo con su padre, y lo trujo a su casa, hizo que le prepararan un cuarto y le dieran asistencia adecuada a sus necesidades. De ese tiempo en adelante él tenía que ver de su padre en la tarde y la mañana.