Battle of Wits
Subuddhi and Kubuddhi were always trying to get the better of each other. One day, in October, Kubuddhi saw a आम, मैंगो growing on his tree. He knocked it down, wrapped it in a cloth and waited for Subuddhi to come by. When he did he called out to him. "I have a riddle for you," he said. "Can आप tell me what फल is wrapped in this cloth? If आप guess correctly आप may take anyone thing from my house that आप can carry out with your two hands; if आप fail I'll come to your house and carry away something."
"All right," कहा Subuddhi, always ready to match his wits with Kubuddhi. "It must be a guava."
"No," कहा the other man."I'll give आप two और guesses."
"It is the season for custardapples," कहा Subuddhi. "It must be a custard apple."
"Last guess."
"Pomegranate?"
"You've failed," कहा Kubuddhi and triumphantly uncovered the mango.
"I'll go घर and prepare for your visit," कहा Subuddhi. "Come in half an hour."
Thirty मिनटों later, Kubuddhi was at the gates of Subuddhi's house.
A glint of metal caught his eye and looking up he saw there was a chest on the roof.
"Tell me truthfully," he saidto Subuddhi, "does that chest contain anything valuable?"
"Yes," कहा Subuddhi, "all my money and most of mywife's ornaments. I thought I had concealed it well."
"You should've covered it," कहा Kubuddhi, gleefully,"Now though it is outside your house it is still part of your house and I can claim it."
"You have to lay your hands on it first. Remember, आप may take only one thing from my house."
"One is enough," कहा Kubuddhi. He went boldly into Subuddhi's house, brought out a ladder and placed it against the roof.
"Yes, kindly take it down for me," कहा Subuddhi,"and I must thank आप for sparing my valuables."
"Sparing your valuables?" कहा Kubuddhi, perplexed."What makes आप think I'mgoing to let आप keep your valuables?"
"We had agreed आप could take away one thing that आप could carry out with your own two hands," कहा Subuddhi, grinning. "And आप have carried out the ladder."
Subuddhi and Kubuddhi were always trying to get the better of each other. One day, in October, Kubuddhi saw a आम, मैंगो growing on his tree. He knocked it down, wrapped it in a cloth and waited for Subuddhi to come by. When he did he called out to him. "I have a riddle for you," he said. "Can आप tell me what फल is wrapped in this cloth? If आप guess correctly आप may take anyone thing from my house that आप can carry out with your two hands; if आप fail I'll come to your house and carry away something."
"All right," कहा Subuddhi, always ready to match his wits with Kubuddhi. "It must be a guava."
"No," कहा the other man."I'll give आप two और guesses."
"It is the season for custardapples," कहा Subuddhi. "It must be a custard apple."
"Last guess."
"Pomegranate?"
"You've failed," कहा Kubuddhi and triumphantly uncovered the mango.
"I'll go घर and prepare for your visit," कहा Subuddhi. "Come in half an hour."
Thirty मिनटों later, Kubuddhi was at the gates of Subuddhi's house.
A glint of metal caught his eye and looking up he saw there was a chest on the roof.
"Tell me truthfully," he saidto Subuddhi, "does that chest contain anything valuable?"
"Yes," कहा Subuddhi, "all my money and most of mywife's ornaments. I thought I had concealed it well."
"You should've covered it," कहा Kubuddhi, gleefully,"Now though it is outside your house it is still part of your house and I can claim it."
"You have to lay your hands on it first. Remember, आप may take only one thing from my house."
"One is enough," कहा Kubuddhi. He went boldly into Subuddhi's house, brought out a ladder and placed it against the roof.
"Yes, kindly take it down for me," कहा Subuddhi,"and I must thank आप for sparing my valuables."
"Sparing your valuables?" कहा Kubuddhi, perplexed."What makes आप think I'mgoing to let आप keep your valuables?"
"We had agreed आप could take away one thing that आप could carry out with your own two hands," कहा Subuddhi, grinning. "And आप have carried out the ladder."