Loss Of friend

THE MICE THAT ATE THE IRON

There was once a rich trader. Unfortunately, this young trader lost all his wealth and became poor. He felt sad as he knew that people would have lost respect for him. He wanted to avoid being in the same city where he had been rich and well-known once. So, he thought of going far away to start a new life in a new place. For this, he needed money. He wondered where it would come from and suddenly remembered that he had a thousand-pound weighing scale. The trader rented the weighing scale out to the local merchant, who gave him money.

The trader travelled widely in distant lands, conducting his business with the borrowed money. Luck favoured him and he prospered. Many years later the trader returned home. He went straight to the merchant to get the weighing scale back. He put the money on the table and told the merchant, 'Please return the scale I gave you. Here is the money I bor- rowed from you.'

O now, let me see, where did I keep that scale?" said the merchant, craftily pretending to search for it. 'I can't find it anywhere. The mice must have eaten it. They eat everything!"

Thell, since the mice are the culprits, it is really not your fault,' said the trader, without getting upset Brother, the world is a strange place, anything can Bappa. Nothing lasts forever Neto take yake bath in the river. Will you allow me to take your boy along? He could help me carry my things.

The merchant allowed his boy to accompany him. He was happy that the trader had not accused him of theft. 'Boy,' he said, 'go with this gentleman to the river. Carry his things and watch over them while he bathes.'

It has been said that men offer help out of kind- ness, and fear and greed, too. You must be careful if someone offers you help for reasons other than these.

The boy and the trader walked to the river. The trader took a leisurely bath, and after his bath, he took the boy by the hand. He led him to a cave and pushed him inside. He quickly closed the mouth of the cave with a big boulder and went back.

The merchant saw the trader returning without his boy. He grew anxious and asked, 'O honoured guest, where is my boy?

He was taken away by a kite, explained the trader. 'I could not do anything.

"You are lying, shouted the merchant in a rage. You speak of the impossible. How can a kite carry my boy away? Bring him back at once or I will com- plain to the king!

"True, mice cannot eat an iron scale just as a kite cannot carry away your boy. Give me back my scale and I will return your boy to you.

They argued furiously over this and then took the matter to the king's court. The merchant complained to the judges that the trader had taken his boy and hidden him somewhere. The judges ordered the trader to return the boy. So, the trader told the judges his story. Upon hearing this, the judges ordered that the boy be restored to the merchant, and the scale, to the trader.

Karataka then said to Damanaka, "You have com- mitted a foul act only because you were jealous of the king's friendship with Sanjeevaka. Our elders speak the truth when they say that knowledgeable people are disliked by fools. You've hurt us even though you wanted to help us. It's exactly like the well-meaning monkey who accidentally killed the king, said Karataka.

'What did the monkey do?' asked Damanaka.