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Jacob’s father was a tailor. When he was a young boy, Jacob would spend many days in his father’s shop, learning how to cut and sew cloth. As time drew on, Jacob started to dream of a coat he would like to make for himself. He planned just how it would look and what fabric he would love. As he grew older, he saved any coins he earned from working in his father’s shop. Finally, after many years, he had enough money to buy the fabric he wanted.
When Jacob had the cloth, he worked and worked on his coat. He spent many nights measuring, cutting, sewing, and pressing, until his fine coat was complete. He was so proud of his work and happily showed his father. His father inspected Jacob’s work and then patted him on the back. “Well done Jacob, you have become a fine tailor,” he told his son.
Jacob loved his coat dearly. He happily wore it through the long, cold winters, and it kept him oh so warm. Years passed, and one winter, whilst walking in the snowy marketplace, Jacob saw a woman shivering with only a thin shawl to keep out the cold. Jacob went to her and offered her his coat to keep her warm. He slowly walked her home, chatting all the way. Sara was about his age, and Jacob learned they had much in common. Two years later, they were married!
Jacob started his own little tailor’s shop in the house he shared with his new wife. Winters passed, and he continued to wear the coat. Jacob wore and wore his coat until it was quite worn out. One day he picked it up and said sadly to Sara, “This old coat has been so special to me. It was my dream to make it, and it also made my father so proud. All those years ago, it also helped me to meet you. But now there is nothing left.
But then Jacob laughed as he looked at his coat more closely. “But yet there is just enough left!”. He rushed into the shop and began cutting and sewing. Early the next morning, he emerged with a jacket, made from the fabric of his old coat.
Jacob loved the jacket dearly. He wore it often. Time passed, and Sara gave birth to two little girls. The following winter, when Jacob saw the first snowflakes start to fall, he rushed outside with his two daughters tucked under his jacket. Together they all twirled in the falling snow, laughing as the snowflakes landed on their noses and tongues.
Jacob continued to wear his coat for years and years until Sara noticed that it was looking all worn out. Jacob looked sadly at the beloved jacket, “I will never forget how this jacket kept us warm whilst the twins and I danced together in the first snow. But you are right, it is all worn out. There is nothing left.” but then, with a little laugh Jacob said, “but, there is just enough!”.
Again, Jacob rushed to the shop. He cut and sewed the fabric from the jacket until he emerged with a neat little cap. It looked so smart, and he was so proud to wear it. He wore it nearly every day!
Years passed, and there was a famine in the land. No one had money for new clothes, and Jacob’s family had very little money for food. They rarely had anything sweet to eat, they mostly had cabbage, potatoes, and beans. But one day, whilst walking in the woods, they came across a thicket of blackberries. The berries looked so juicy and sweet, that they longed to bring some home with them. But they had nothing to put them in! Then Jacob remembered his cap. He took it off his head, and together, the family filled it to the brim with the beautiful, sweet fruit. Back home, they made a delicious blackberry pie, and at dinner time, they enjoyed every bite.
And so time passed. Jacob’s daughters grew up, and his hat became threadbare. One day he looked at the beloved cap and found himself saying, “it is all worn out. There is nothing left”. But then he chuckled and rushed into the shop. Again he began cutting and sewing. Hours later, he emerged wearing a sweet little bowtie, made from the fabric he salvaged from his beloved hat.
Jacob wore his bow tie everywhere. He wore it to his daughter’s wedding. He wore it when he met his first grandchild. And, when his granddaughter was old enough to talk, she sat on his knee and played with the little bow tie. “Granddaddy, do you have a butterfly on your shirt,” she told him. He then took off the bow tie and pretended it was a butterfly every time he saw his granddaughter.
One day, when Jacob’s hair was gray, he returned home from the market, and Sara asked him, “Where is your bow tie?”. He felt his neck, but the bow tie was not there. He quickly retraced his steps through the market, but try as he could, he did not find the bow tie. Sadly, Jacob returned to his house and went to bed without eating any dinner.
The next morning Jacob refused to get out of bed. He just felt so sad without the bow tie. “What’s the use? The cloth I loved so much is gone. It has been with me for so many years, but now there is nothing left. Nothing! I have lost so many dear memories.”
Sara quietly left the house and went to visit their daughters. She returned with the grandchildren, who plopped themselves on their grandpa’s bed. But he looked sadly at them, saying, “I cannot play today, I am just too sad”.
“Father, please tell us one of the stories about the cloth. Your grandchildren do not know the stories” his daughter asked.
“Oh but it is too sad”, he replied.
The children begged, and eventually, he gave in. He told them of how he worked so hard to save the money he had needed to buy the cloth. He told them of how the coat he had made was so smart and warm. Of how the coat had helped him to meet his beloved wife He told them of how it had kept his daughters warm whilst they danced in the falling snow. He told them of the cap full of berries that they had picked. As he recalled these memories, they brought a smile to his face.
“Granddaddy, you made the bow tie into a butterfly. Maybe it flew away,” his granddaughter said to him with a smile.
Jacob sighed and gave her a hug. “Yes, it seems it did fly away. But you have helped me to realize that the memories have not flown away. They will be with me always. There are just enough memories to make a story, and that will be with us forever if you will help me to keep it safe”. Jacob hugged his family and got out of bed.
The story was passed down through the family for many generations.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)
