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