Why Tado Obeyed

Tado was a little Japanese boy. He lived with his grandfather high up on the side of the mountain in Japan. All around Tado's house were the rice fields. The people of the village came every day to work in the rice fields. And Tado and his grandfather helped them. Even though Tado was only five years old, he knew the rice fields were very important to the Japanese people. Many times grandfather had told him, "The rice fields are our food. If anything should happen to them, we would all be hungry." Tado didn’t want to be hungry. So he was glad when the rice began to ripen and harvest time drew near.

Then one day something happened that frightened Tado. He and grandfather were all alone in the rice fields when grandfather straightened up to rest. He looked out at the rolling sea. For a moment he turned pale and did not speak. Then he cried sharply to Tado, "Run quickly and bring me a burning stick from the fire!" Tado ran as fast as he could to the smoldering fire. He seized a stick and hurried to grandfather. Grandfather took the stick and thrust it into the dry rice plants. "Bring me another one!" he ordered. "Quick!" Tado was so surprised that for a moment he couldn’t move. Then he began to cry. "Grandfather," he sobbed. "You are burning the rice!" Grandfather nodded without looking at Tado. "Bring me another burning stick," he said.

Tado hesitated. Then he thought of Jesus. Tado knew that Jesus would want him to obey grandfather. "Yes, grandfather," Tado answered. Swiftly he hurried to bring another burning stick from the fire. Then another, and still another. Soon the whole field was ablaze, and thick black smoke rose up from the mountainside. In a few minutes, Tado saw the people running from the village below. All the men and women and even the children were climbing the mountain trail. They were coming to try to put out the fire in their precious rice fields. As they came close, one man shouted angrily to grandfather. "How did this thing happen? Who set this terrible fire?" "I did," answered grandfather slowly. "Why? Why?" screamed the man.

Grandfather turned and pointed to the sea. All the people turned to look in the direction grandfather was pointing. There was a huge wall of water rolling in. The sight was so terrible that no one moved or said anything. The water rolled over the land where the village was and broke with a loud roar against the side of the mountain. The people hid their faces from the sight. Their whole village was underwater. Then the people began to smile. They looked at each other. They knew now why he had set fire to the rice. He wanted them to come up on the mountain where they would be safe. They all crowded around grandfather and began to thank him for saving their lives. They were not angry now.

Grandfather smiled at the people. Then he put his hand on Tado's shoulder. "I could never have set fire to the field in time if it hadn’t been for Tado," he said. "He brought the burning stick even though there was no time to explain why I wanted them." Tado was happy that he had obeyed grandfather. He knew that from now on he would always obey, because Jesus wanted him to.