The Parable of the Grandchildren and the Chocolates

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, when a nation breaks international rules of behavior but is backed by a major world power, how can that nation be punished?”

Josh spoke thus:

A grandparent was holding a box of chocolates.

“These are my favorite chocolates,” the grandparent told two grandchildren, “They are very hard to find, and very expensive.”

“Are they good?” one grandchild asked.

“I remember that they were good,” the grandparent said.

“When was the last time you had one?” the second grandchild asked.

“It’s been twenty years since I’ve had one,” the grandparent said.

“Why don’t you eat one now?” the first grandchild asked.

“Oh, no,” the grandparent said, “They are too precious to eat. If I ate them, I’d have none left.  And if I had none left, I could no longer look forward to having them.”

“But they’re chocolates,” the second grandchild said, “Chocolates are for eating.”

“Not these chocolates,” the grandparent said.  The grandparent set the chocolates on a shelf and left the room.

“They’re chocolates,” the second grandchild said to the first grandchild, “We should eat them.”

“But these ones are not for eating,” the first grandchild said.

“Why show them to us if we’re no supposed to eat them?” the second grandchild asked, “Why leave them on the table?”

“Maybe it’s a test,” the first grandchild.

“Then I fail the test,” the second grandchild said.  The second grandchild grabbed a chocolate and took a bite.  The second grandchild spat the chocolate out.  “It’s disgusting,” the second grandchild said, “It’s bitter.”

The first grandchild took a chocolate and tasted it.

“It’s not disgusting,” the first grandchild said, “It’s divine.  It’s the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted.”  The first grandchild took another chocolate.  Then the first grandchild took at third and a fourth.  Soon the chocolate box was empty.

The second grandchild laughed at the first grandchild.

“I made you take a chocolate!” the second grandchild said, “I made you eat the whole box of chocolates!”

The grandparent returned to the room to find the empty chocolate box on the table.

“Who ate all my chocolates?” the grandparent asked.

The second grandchild pointed at the first grandchild.  In the pointing hand, the second grandchild held the first chocolate taken from the box, the chocolate the second grandchild had declared to be bitter.

“You!” the grandparent said, “First you eat my chocolates, and then you blame your sibling!  You are an evil grandchild!  You shall receive no gifts from me!”

From a high shelf the grandparent took down a second box of chocolates.

“Here,” the grandparent said to the first grandchild, “Here is your reward for showing such excellent self control.  I never could have resisted those chocolates!”

The grandparent led the first grandchild out of the room, praising the first grandchild and speaking ill of the second grandchild.

The second grandchild ate the rest of the chocolate in the second grandchild’s accusing hand.  It really was bitter.