One of a dozen offspring went to find his share of the portion, which was stuck by its horns in a thicket. He carried it home rejoicing, but fell among robbers, who took all his money and left him for dead.
Famine struck, and he went off to feed pigs and sent evil spirits into them so that they ran off the edge of a cliff. He longed to fill his stomach with seeds that fell among thorns, or with thorns that fell among robbers.
He came to his senses and said to himself ‘Ninety and nine are safe, I shall go to my father and tell him I am no longer worthy to sow seed where the birds of the air swoop and feast themselves and the lilies of the field reap and spin and neither do they sow. And all their neighbours with them.’
But while he was still a long way off, his Priest and his Levite passed by, and Lo! they were sore afraid. But his father spake unto him, saying ‘Fear not, I bring you tidings of great abundance.’ And the glory of the Lord shone round about them.
He gave him a ring for his finger and agreed to make him a good and faithful servant and soil for the hundredfold.
‘This my son might have passed through the eye of a needle, but when I return I will reap what I have sowed, pay more if more is owed and provide shoes for his feet; and the fatted calf for the sheep, the birds and the Samaritans.’ What?
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