Rash action

Learned Yet Foolish

There lived four young Bramin boys in a city. They were good friends, eager to venture ut and acquire knowledge. They went to a big city renowned for its education. They all joined a monastery and began studying the scriptures and sciences. They planned to return home after twelve years of learning. They took permission to leave from their teacher and started on their homeward journey.

After a few days of travel, the boys reached a point where the road branched into two. They were unsure which road would take them home and were debating over it when they saw a funeral procession. One of the boys opened his book of learning.

Follow the path taken by great men,' he read out. Let's follow these great men leading the funeral procession.'

They followed the procession to the cremation ground. Here they chanced upon a donkey.

The second Brahmin boy opened his book and found a verse that said, Whoever helps you in times of danger, famine, cremation and invasion is really a good friend.

"Therefore, the donkey is our best friend,' he concluded.

Immediately, one of them held on to the don- key's neck, while another washed his feet. After this ceremony was over, a camel wandered by. None of them recognized which animal it was. The four of them tried to guess. The third boy opened his book of knowledge.

'Righteousness moves swiftly, he read out. He concluded that the camel must be the symbol of righteousness.

The fourth Boy referred to his book and found that righteousness and friendship always go together. Thus, they tied the donkey and the camel together, who together started making a lot of noise.

The donkey's owner heard all the commotion and rushed to beat up the four Brahmin boys. However, they escaped before he could reach them.

The Brahmin boys continued to travel till they reached a river. They saw a big leaf floating in the water. One of them remembered a line from a verse describing how a man crossed a river on a leaf. He jumped on it and was being swept away by the cur- rent, when the second Brahmin boy saw his distress and remembered a verse. The lines said, When there is going to be total loss, a wise man parts with one half to save the remaining.

So with the good intention of saving his friend from total loss, the second Brahmin boy cut off the head of the drowning boy.

Three Brahmin boys now started travelling again. They stopped when three villagers invited them for a feast. When the host served a dish that resembled vermicelli, the first Brahmin boy remembered a verse that said, What is long should be discarded, and left

without cating.

When the second Brahmin boy was served pan- cakes, he thought, 'What spreads is not good for health, and refused to eat. Doughnuts were served to the third Brahmin boy. He remembered, There is danger where there is a bele, and left.

The three Brahmin boys, after travelling a little more, went home.

The third Brahmin ended the story and said, "So, you can see that learning is of little use if there is no common sense with it.'

"That is not true, the fourth Brahmin protested. He said, 'What God chooses to save, survives miraculously. No human effort can save when God has planned its end. As the frog said, "The fish with a thousand tricks sat on the head of the fisherman, and the one with a hundred tricks hung by his arm. I, with only one trick, am happily swimming in the water.

'How can that be?' wondered the third Brahmin. His friend told him the story.