Loss Of friend

THE TWO FRIENDS

In a city in the north, there lived two friends. One was younger and the other, older.

I'm poor, without any wisdom, experience and knowledge,' thought the young friend. 'I will persuade my friend to take me with him when he travels to distant lands. There, I will earn money with his help and business talent. We will be rich and have lots of money. I will definitely think of a way to take away all his wealth. Then, I'll live happily ever after. He thought a lot and planned accordingly.

'My good, kind friend,' he said to his old friend, 'you are growing old. It must be difficult for you to manage your business alone. You must travel and see the wide world and then tell your children about its wonders. Our elders have said that a person's life is useless if he does not know the culture of other people or does not travel to see different lands and learn several languages. If you want to amass wealth and learning, you must travel."

The old friend listened and thought his younger friend advised him well. With the blessings of his teachers, he set out with his friend to travel around the world.

The old friend was an excellent businessman. Both of them earned a lot of money abroad, and soon, it was time for them to return home. People who go far away from home to earn wealth and knowledge become a little homesick. They always want to return

home, eventually. They travelled and when they were about to enter their native village, the young friend had an idea.

'Let us not take our entire wealth home at once, It may not be safe,' he said to the old friend. 'If our needy relatives and friends come to know about our riches, they will definitely ask us for money. Then, what will be left with us? I know a secret place in the forest. We will bury it there, and whenever we need some money, we can dig it out and take whatever we want. Even the holiest man is tempted by money, why should we take chances?"

The old friend agreed and both the friends duga pit in a secret place in the forest. They quickly buried most of their wealth there and covered the pit with lots of leaves and grass. Satisfied that their money was secure, they went home.

One night, the young friend went to the secret place in the forest. He stole all the money and brought it home and hid it well.

The next morning, he went to the old friend. He suggested they go to the forest together and open up the pit as he was in need of money.

They arrived at the secret spot in the forest and dug out the soil. The pit was empty.

'Oh, you cheat! You took all the money! shouted the young friend. "The pit was so carefully covered and no one else knew about this. I want half of the money right now. You must give it to me!'

The old friend was shocked. He said that he had not taken the money but the young friend would not listen. He, instead, insisted that they should go to court. The law of the land would decide the matter for them.

Thus, the case came before the court and the judge. He asked both the friends to take an oath in the name of God. This oath in God's name is taken when neither documents nor witnesses are available. The young friend quoted experts and said that relevant documents as proof should be produced first and then witnesses called to give evidence. 'My witnesses are the gods of the forest! I shall call them and they will decide who's guilty and who's innocent,' he said.

The judges thought this was a good way to decide and were impressed by him. They asked both the friends to be present the next morning in the forest at the place where they had buried their wealth. The hearing would take place right there. The young friend was delighted at the court's order. He went home and spoke to his father about what he intended to do next.

'Father, I've stolen all of my friend's money. You will have to help me now, or my life will be in danger. I am fighting the case in court, but I need your help to win it.'

'How can I help you get that money safely, Son?' asked his father.

"There is a big hollow tree near the spot where we buried the wealth," said the young friend. 'Go there and just hide in the hollow and shout out what I tell you to. Tomorrow morning, when the judges and every one else reaches the spot, I will ask the forest gods to bear witness. When I do that, you will speak In a god like voice, "the old friend is a thief." Be loud and clear!" The old man, excited by so much money, left at once to hide in the tree hollow.

The next morning, both the friends and the judges arrived at the secret hiding place where the money had been hidden. The young friend approached the tree where his father was hidden.

O gods of death, day and night, the sun, moon, air, fire, earth, water,' he called out, 'you are all wit- ness to all of human history. O forest gods, dwelling in the trees, declare the name of the guilty one!'

The father declared in a loud and grand manner, It is the old friend who is guilty. Search his house for the stolen money.

The judges and the king's men heard the tree's verdict. With great seriousness, they sat down to decide what punishment was suitable for the crime. Meanwhile, the old friend went over to the tree hol- low. He quickly filled it with rags and hay, poured some oil over it and lit a match.

Soon there was a steady, roaring fire. The young man's father got half-burnt and blinded by smoke and was forced to climb out of the hollow. "All this is the work of my son's evil mind,' he said and col- lapsed and died.

The young friend tried to run, but was caught by the king's men and tied to a tree.

'Our elders have taught us that wise men should be resourceful', they said, 'and know what all can happen if one is resourceful. There's the story of how a mongoose killed all of the crane's offspring in his presence.'

The old friend asked them to tell him the story. And the king's men related the story of the foolish crane and the mongoose.