Battle of Wits
Subuddhi and Kubuddhi were always trying to get the better of each other. One day, in October, Kubuddhi saw a mangue 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 toi tell me what fruit is wrapped in this cloth? If toi guess correctly toi may take anyone thing from my house that toi can carry out with your two hands; if toi fail I'll come to your house and carry away something."
"All right," a dit Subuddhi, always ready to match his wits with Kubuddhi. "It must be a guava."
"No," a dit the other man."I'll give toi two plus guesses."
"It is the season for custardapples," a dit Subuddhi. "It must be a custard apple."
"Last guess."
"Pomegranate?"
"You've failed," a dit Kubuddhi and triumphantly uncovered the mango.
"I'll go accueil and prepare for your visit," a dit Subuddhi. "Come in half an hour."
Thirty minutes 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," a dit Subuddhi, "all my money and most of mywife's ornaments. I thought I had concealed it well."
"You should've covered it," a dit 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, toi may take only one thing from my house."
"One is enough," a dit 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," a dit Subuddhi,"and I must thank toi for sparing my valuables."
"Sparing your valuables?" a dit Kubuddhi, perplexed."What makes toi think I'mgoing to let toi keep your valuables?"
"We had agreed toi could take away one thing that toi could carry out with your own two hands," a dit Subuddhi, grinning. "And toi 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 mangue 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 toi tell me what fruit is wrapped in this cloth? If toi guess correctly toi may take anyone thing from my house that toi can carry out with your two hands; if toi fail I'll come to your house and carry away something."
"All right," a dit Subuddhi, always ready to match his wits with Kubuddhi. "It must be a guava."
"No," a dit the other man."I'll give toi two plus guesses."
"It is the season for custardapples," a dit Subuddhi. "It must be a custard apple."
"Last guess."
"Pomegranate?"
"You've failed," a dit Kubuddhi and triumphantly uncovered the mango.
"I'll go accueil and prepare for your visit," a dit Subuddhi. "Come in half an hour."
Thirty minutes 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," a dit Subuddhi, "all my money and most of mywife's ornaments. I thought I had concealed it well."
"You should've covered it," a dit 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, toi may take only one thing from my house."
"One is enough," a dit 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," a dit Subuddhi,"and I must thank toi for sparing my valuables."
"Sparing your valuables?" a dit Kubuddhi, perplexed."What makes toi think I'mgoing to let toi keep your valuables?"
"We had agreed toi could take away one thing that toi could carry out with your own two hands," a dit Subuddhi, grinning. "And toi have carried out the ladder."