In Katha Upanishad, Vajasrabasa, hoping for divine favour, performed a rite giving away all his posessions. But actually he was giving away only his useless cattle. Nachiketa, his young son, noticed this & asked his father "I also belong to you. To whom will you give me?" His father, angered, said "I give you to Death." So Nachiketa went to the God of Death & waited for an audience. Death, pleased at his perseverance, granted him boons. Nachiketa asked that when he returned home, his father should recognise & accept him. It was granted & Nachiketa asked for knowledge of Brahman. Though Death was reluctant to impart this supreme knowledge, Nachiketa held fast, obtained it & returned home.
In Chandogya Upanishad, two children feature. Satyakama wanted to get spiritual guidance & asked his mother as to his family name. Jabala, his mother told him that she worked in many places as a servant & did not know who his father was, & could call himself Satyakama Jabala. He went to Sage Gautama & wanted to be his disciple. Gautama asked him his family name & Satyakama repeated his mother's words. Gautama was very pleased & said "Only a true Brahmin will be so truthful" & accepted him.
In the same Upanishad, when Svetaketu was 12 years old, his father Uddalaka asked him to go & acquire learning. So Svetaketu went to a teacher, studied the Vedas for 12 years & returned home a proud man. But when questioned by his father, it was evident that Svetaketu had only acquired conceit & not learning. So his father taught him the supreme knowledge embedded in "tat tvam asi" (Thou art that).
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