Brave Santiago

In the foothills of the majestic Andes mountains lies a country called Colombia. Various tribes have inhabited the forests there for many centuries. They came from far and wide, attracted by the extremely fertile soil. To grow crops, all they had to do was hitch up a couple of oxen and get to work ploughing the fields. Once seeds were planted, they quickly germinated. The rich nutrients in the soil ensured a bountiful harvest, enough to nourish the people for a whole year.

Their dwellings could be readily constructed, too, thanks to the density of trees. The many skilled craftsmen worked the timber by hand, and the houses were erected swiftly. These simple, humble people lived in peace and tranquillity.

But a long-long time ago, in one such settlement, a group of young people decided to do a truly terrible deed...

“We will drive all the old men and old women out of this village. They are only a nuisance to us. They can no longer help in the fields or fetch wood, and they’re useless on the building sites,” announced the leader of the young settlers.

“Some even need help washing themselves or eating. And this is totally unacceptable,” said another, listing all the reasons they found it necessary to get rid of the elderly inhabitants.

The crowd of young people chanted and applauded each time someone spoke in this way. Nobody wanted to care for the elderly — they found them a burden.

Santiago was one of the young people attending the gathering. He just shook his head in disgust at how the others could treat their grandfathers and grandmothers like that. He wasn’t going to put up with it.

“Have you completely lost your mind?” he shouted angrily from amid the…