Cambodian parable One wicked man borrowed money. He gave a receipt, marked the first day of the fifth month of the lunar year, pledging to pay the debt and interest when there were two full moons.
At the end of two moons, that is, two months, the lender came to demand his money. Since the debtor refused to pay, he brought a complaint to court. The judge called the debtor, who said:
— I admit that I borrowed money from the complainant. But according to our agreement, I must pay when there are two moons. And suddenly my lender brings you a complaint before the due date. Look up, Mr. Judge: if you see two moons, I will pay immediately.
The judge looked at the sky and saw only one moon. He announced that, according to the receipt, the debtor was supposed to pay the debt when there were two of them.
The creditor, whose claim was rejected, visited the hare Sophea.
“Your business is simple,” he said. — Go get some boards and bamboo. Make a beautiful raft. In the evening you will buy rice vodka, cook dinner on the raft, and we will have a fun dinner!
The lender took the advice. And the hare invited the judge to share the meal and asked him to take both opponents with him.
When evening came, the hare led the guests onto the raft and offered them delicious dishes and rice vodka. He himself ate nothing but ripe bananas and arum leaves.
Having finished eating, the hare brought the conversation to the matter of the receipt. He asked the judge how he planned to resolve the dispute. The judge replied that the matter was not yet finished, that he could not yet speak definitively, but that, undoubtedly, he would judge according to the exact meaning of the receipt: it said that the debt should be paid when there were two moons.
The hare asked:
- May I ask the debtor a question?
“Of course,” the judge allowed.
“If I understand correctly,” the hare turned to the debtor, “you have undertaken to pay your debt not in two moons, that is, two months, but when two moons will be visible at once?” Is this exactly what you promised?
“That’s right,” the debtor confirmed slyly. “Let them show me two moons at the same time, and I’m ready to pay.”
“Mr. Judge,” declared the hare, “in this case, I ask you to force me to pay the debt to my client immediately.”
The judge looked up.
“I only see one moon,” he said.
- Take a good look, Mister Judge! There's one moon up there in the sky, and there's another one in the water. Do you see, sir, two moons? They are both red gold, both round and full!
And then the judge ordered the debtor to pay his debt without leaving his seat.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru