The Buried Treasure

by Djemma Bider, Debby L. Carter (Illustrator)

The lazy sons of a wise old gardener search for the treasure that the old man tells them is buried in the garden and discover a wealth they had not imagined

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1982

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wise old man, aware that his sons were lazy and thoughtless, informed the three of them on his deathbed that he had buried a great treasure in his garden - a treasure that was theirs for the taking, if they could find it. After burying their father with all honor, the brothers proceeded to dig up every inch of his garden. Their uncle, happening upon them, suggested that they not waste their effort, and - since they had already been digging - plant some seeds. And so began a gradual process whereby they learned to enjoy their work, to appreciate the bounty it produced, and to know and value the true "treasure" that lay buried in the earth...

I have run across variants of this tale from other traditions, but The Buried Treasure may be my favorite retelling yet! Djemma Bider's engaging narrative reads well, while Debra Carter's artwork - with its deep color, decorative borders, and somewhat stylized composition - is a pleasure to behold. The only criticism I could make, is that Bider did not list her source, and described her tale as being from the "Caucasus Mountains." Which is all very well, but there are dozens of ethnic groups living in the region, and I would have liked to know from which specific tradition this story comes. Leaving that aside, I highly recommend this little gem to all folklore lovers, particularly those who appreciate beautiful picture-books!

[The Unabridged Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this children's book in the course of preparing for my Capstone project.
I'm looking at how men and women are depicted in Russian and Eastern European folktales and how those traits reflect masculine and feminine ideals at the time the stories were created.
In this story, we have a WILY, WISE, and overworked father who sees his sons' disinterest in the land. While the men are not lazy (they have their own pursuits), the father wishes they would help him with their family's garden. He explains that there is a treasure to be found there if only the sons would dig for it.
Upon the father's death, the sons bury him with HONOR.
They dig in the garden after daydreaming about how they might use the treasure to be IDLE.
Eventually, the sons forget the treasure in their love of the WORK and their SELF-IMPROVEMENT.
This hard work leads them to a fortune when they can sell their crops at the market. They have earned their GOOD REPUTATION and RESPECT amongst their neighbors and give lavish parties.