In one Indian village, not far from the sea, there lived a peasant - very greedy, a real miser. One day he wanted coconuts. He took a rupee and went to the market.
- Master, how much are your coconuts? – he asked, entering the first shop.
“Four annas,” answered the shopkeeper.
[Ana is a small Indian coin. ]
- Do you happen to know where I can find coconuts for three annas? – the peasant asked curiously.
- I know, in the next shop.
The miser went to that store, but didn’t want to buy nuts there either. He thought that there were probably cheaper nuts somewhere, and he moved on.
So he wandered for several hours through all the shops until he attacked one where the price of nuts was one anna.
“Tell me, friend,” the miser turned to the seller, “maybe you can advise me where I can get coconuts for free.” Otherwise I feel sorry for giving you my money.
- Over there, on the seashore. Coconut trees grow there. “Go there, pick the nuts yourself and get them for free,” answered the seller.
The miser was delighted, ran to the sea, found a coconut tree, climbed up the trunk and began to pull the coconut towards him. But the nut held on tightly and did not give way. Then the peasant pulled him sharply with all his might. But he didn’t tear it off, but lost his balance and almost fell down. Miraculously, he managed to grab the nut, and the peasant hung in the air.
Just then a mahout passed by with his elephant.
- Master, for God's sake, help me! – the peasant begged. “Let the elephant come here, and you stand on its back and take me down.” I'll give you ten rupees for this.
The driver agreed, brought the elephant, climbed onto its back and was about to remove the peasant, when suddenly the elephant moved. The driver grabbed the peasant's legs, and both of them hung in the air.
- Please, don’t let go of the nut! If you don't let me go, I'll give you ten thousand rupees! - the driver shouted.
Hearing these words, the miser almost went crazy. “Ten thousand rupees are hundreds, thousands of such nuts! Why am I holding this one unfortunate nut?” - flashed through his head, and his hands unclenched of their own accord. Both fell like stones into the sea and drowned.
This is what greed leads to.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru