This is the story of the reeve. He hails from Norfolk, near Baldeswell. On this particular day, he wore a blue overcoat and a rusty blade tucked into his belt. He had a muted red cloak slung over his narrow shoulders. His only companion on the journey was his horse, a slow but sturdy gray horse named Scot. 

“Greetings to you all,” croaked the reeve with an air of authority. “I shall recount to you not only a pleasant moral tale, but sound advice, too. Take heed, listen to what I shall say. As you all may have been told, I am the supervisor of my master’s estate. I have been for a great many years now.” 

This was true, and he was well-deserving of the position. He possessed natural talent when it came to managing money. He was skilled at carpentry, too, and worked hard. 

“I look after the chickens, sheep, pigs, cows and my master’s many employees, too. The latter of those can be the most challenging. Do not take me to be prideful when I say I am quite successful in my position.” 

The reeve’s hair was cut as blunt as its owner. It was clipped just above his ears. His priestly haircut was the only thing religious about him. He had a beard shaved as close to the skin as could be. The reeve was quite thin and elderly. Despite his meek appearance, he was well-respected. No laborer or herdsman dared to cross him. He kept a tight ship, as he would put it. He was rather modest in appearance and lifestyle. Do not be fooled by this. He had accumulated a respectable treasure and stored it away. 

“I, for one, think it is wisest to stow away one’s money rather than to squander it. It will serve you well in the future. I will dip into my savings at times to give small loans or gifts to my master, earning his thanks and favor. You see, wisdom is far more valuable than money. Better yet is having money and using it wisely.”

The Reeve’s Tale

In the north of England, there was a young farmer. He was no more than five and twenty years of age. He had inherited a considerable amount of land from his recently-deceased father. He was eager to make changes and improvements. This much we can applaud him for. Unfortunately, he was impatient, as many young people are. He had learned nothing about how to run a farm from his father. He wasn’t keen on listening. His father had little wisdom to bestow that was of use to the young farmer. There was not much that was similar between the old farmer and his son.

Also living on the land was an elderly man. He had short hair that was white and curly like sheep’s wool. He wore the same brown cotton overcoat every day. He was a shepherd in his earlier years. Though he could no longer work, the young farmer’s father had allowed him to stay. He rented out a stone cottage down the road. The old man lived modestly and saved his earnings. The old man did not much care for the new landowner, but he knew better than to say that. He kept his head down and minded his business. He loved his little cottage and enjoyed looking out at the fields of his hard work. The home was on the most beautiful part of the land, atop a grassy hill.

As I had mentioned, the inexperienced farmer had grand plans. You might say his true passion was building, for he did a great deal of it. He built a new well, replaced the old barn and put up a shed for his many farm tools. This was all in the first few months. He had hopes of building a magnificent kingdom for himself. It was going to be very impressive to all who passed by. He did not want just good enough; he wanted the best. 

He thought to himself about the old man who lived on the hill. “My father has given the best part of the land to an old man, a man who doesn’t even work for us anymore.” 

The young farmer was jealous. He was determined to have the best part of the land for himself.

The next day, he had a builder draft up plans for his grand new home. It was going to cost lots of money, money the farmer did not have. He decided to go to the bank and take out loans to pay for the materials and labor. 

“In a few years, my crops will have produced plenty to pay off this debt,” he thought aloud.

The young farmer went to the old man’s cottage and told him he must leave. He was going to tear down the cottage to make room for his house. 

“I have paid on time every month what you have asked of me,” he replied. “Why must you destroy my beloved home and take this land from me?” 

Despite his pleas, the farmer was insistent. The man gathered his things and left later that day. He was devastated.

His home was torn down as the farmer had said. Over the next few years, the newer, much larger house was built in its place. A few months after the construction was finally complete, there was a terrible storm. It was the worst hail in the town’s history. It destroyed the farmer’s crops. When the bank realized he could not pay back his loans, they foreclosed on the house. The young farmer had no money, no job and no home.

The old man had been living a few towns over with his family. When he heard about the storm, he returned to the land to see what had happened. He was reminded of how beautiful it was and how much he missed living there. Much to his surprise, he saw a “For Sale” sign by the new house. He went to the bank, and using the money he had saved up, he bought the house from them. 

In town, he saw the young farmer out on the street begging for money. 

“I’m glad to see you,” said the old man. “I have been wanting to thank you. My old house was much too outdated and worn down for my taste. I suppose I just needed a push to make the change, so thank you. I was so pleased to see a brand-new house for sale right there on my land! I went and bought it immediately. I am sorry to see you have fallen into hard times. I would be happy to let you rent the old main house, or you could work for me and live there for free as my payment to you.” 

So, the young farmer moved right back to the house where he started, but now he had to work in the fields every day. 

You see, his discontentment and unwise spending left him worse off. On the other hand, the old man was patient and saved up his money. He got to live out a luxurious retirement, happily ever after.