Honesty brings its own reward
Just at that time a fruit-seller was passing along the road in front of the palace with plenty of good mangoes. The gate keeper called him and said, ‘Today, the king will buy all your mangoes as there is a big feast. But you will have to give me half of your profit, and then only will I allow you to enter the palace.’
The fruit-seller was at first a little hesitant but finally consented. He was an intelligent man.
The king purchased all the mangoes and asked the fruit-seller,”How much money do you want?”
The fruit-seller replied, “Oh great king! I do not want money. Please beat me one hundred times with a stick.”
The king was amazed. He said, “Take money as much as you want. Your mangoes are very delicious. How can I beat you when you have given the fruits I was so urgently in need of? I have to offer you equally delicious with special thanks “. But the fruit-seller insisted “No, no you must only beat me a hundred times. I will then be immensely pleased and satisfied”.
The king asked his servant to beat him one hundred times mildly. The servant beat him fifty times and was about to raise the stick for the fifty first time, when the fruit-seller stopped him with these words,” Stop now! I have a partner. You will have to beat him also fifty times”.
The king was quite astonished! What sort of funny man he is! He asked,” who is your partner?”
The fruit-seller replied, “When I wanted to enter the compound of this palace, your gate keeper wanted me to share half of my profit with him. So he must get his share of fifty beatings.”
The king immediately sent for the gate keeper and asked the servant to thrash him fifty times severely and dismissed him from service at once. The fruit- seller received rich presents for his honest dealings.
Moral- Honesty always brings its own reward. Greed leads to selfishness, cheating, hypocrisy and brings down fall.
No comments:
Post a Comment