Synopsis by William Disbro, created from: In The Ever After, by Allan B. Chinen,
The theme is reflections: loss and the return of magic and Dr. Chinen writes about five incredible pages explaining the symbolism in this tale.
A hard-working woodcutter struggled to earn a living. He eventually had two sons to help him but still they spent the additional income for food and the sons left to seek their own future.
After twenty years of hard work the old man refused to get out of bed one morning and after much failed exhortation by his wife for him to go to work a stranger knocked on their door and asked if he could borrow the two unused mules in the yard for a chore he had in the forest. The stranger was a magician and had learned of a great treasure. He found the treasure and loaded it on the two mules. As he was leaving the woods he saw soldiers marching on the road and since if he was found to be a sorcerer he would be condemned to death he fled the woods never to be seen again. After hours of inattention the two mules found their own way home through the woods. The wife discovered the treasure loaded on the mules and she and the old woodcutter rejoiced and gave half to their sons and half the remainder to the poor. And they were still rich.
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