Three Fools

In a certain village there was a rich landlord. He had four sons All of them were utter fools. Even though they were old enough to be fathers of children they depended upon their parents for everything. They did not shoulder any responsibility. Their father wanted to make them worldly wise by entrusting them with some responsible work. He called his eldest son and told him, "My son, you have to go to your grandfather's place and see how they are all faring." The father wanted to see how the boy would fare away from home. Early next morning when the eldest boy was about to start on his journey, his mother said to him, "Don't stay there too long. It is a place where even fire and water are scarce." She meant that it was an inhospitable place. But the oldest boy misunderstood her. He obtained a couple of pots, put fire in one and water in the other and started for his grandfather's village. After going some distance he felt carrying two pots was too much trouble. He put the fire in the water pot and threw the other away. When the boy reached his destination his uncles asked him, "What is it in the pot ?" "It appears that fire and water are scarce here. So I brought them," the boy replied. "You silly fool! Where is the fire then ?" they asked. " In the water, of course," the boy replied. His uncles kept him for a few days and sent him back home, saying, "Young fellow, the world is a bad place for people like you. Never go out of your place all by yourself." The father knew that his eldest son was no good. He called the second son and said to him, "I want you to stay at the farm and look after the cultivation." The second son agreed and settled himself at the farm. The lands belonging to the farm were sown to jinjili seed. It was the sowing season and the farmers opened up bags of jinjili- seed and kept them in readiness. The landlord's son, having nothing better to do, began to pick up the seed by the handful and eat them raw. Seeing this, one farmhand asked him not to eat the seed raw. He got a small quantity fried by his wife. The boy was struck by the improved taste of the fried seed. He indicated the bags of seed and told the farmhands, "Have them fried nicely." * What shall we sow?" asked the farmhands. "Leave that to me," said the landlord's son. According to his wish the entire lot of jinjili seed was fried in the pans and brought to him. "Now you sow these in the fields. We will have tasty jinjili coming up. You have been cultivating for years and years but you have always been sowing raw seed and growing raw seed. You are ignorant fools." The farmhands were shocked. They ran to the landlord and informed him as to what had happened. The landlord cursed his idiot son and called him back. He then called forth his third son and asked him to take charge of the dairy farm and manage it. The third son began to get acquainted with the running of the dairy farm. One day he had a brilliant idea.

He caled to him all the mikers and said, "Look, Iellows. In another

month there will be Pongal eve and there will be a great demand formilk.

Let us stop milking the cattle from now on. On the eve of Pongal wecan take the whole lot of milk from the cattle and have huge profits."Some milkers giggled at this foolish idea of their young master butthe others preserved their dignity as they said, "Sir, it is not feasible."The young master got infuriated and said. "Do as I tell you. I am themaster here." So the cattle were not milked for a whole month and

consequently dried up. The milkerswent to their old master and reported to him about what hadhappened. The landlord called back his third son in disgust.Now all his hopes were pinned on the youngest boy. This boy not only appeared cleverer than his other brothers, but he even madefun of their intelligence, or rather they want of it. This time thelandlord did not want to commit the mistake of entrusting his sonwith a set job. On the other hand he asked his son, "What would youlike to do best ?" " Father. I want to do business," said the youngest son. "Good! Take with you a couple of thousand rupees and engage yourself in business." his father said. With this money the youngfellow wanted to buy something very valuable. He came across alarge store of sandalwood and bought it up. He put it in a cart andwent from village to0 village. He was surprised to find that no oneneeded sandalwood in bulk. After touring several villages withoutdisposing of his stuff, he asked a villager, "What goods are needed inthis village most ?"Brother, there is no charcoal here. If you have gotsome, you can sell it rapidly," the villager replied. "Well, charcoal itshall be," said the boy. He got up a huge fire and converted his entirestock of sandalwood into charcoal and sold it for ten rupees"At last I am rid of the stuff Let me buy something else," he said to himself. He learnt that cotton was available in that village profusely.Almost every house had a store of it. The young merchant wentround the village and bought the cheapest variety of cotton with theten rupees he had on hand. He dumped this cotton in his cart andstarted for another village. He wandered over several villages but noone appeared to be anxious to buy his cotton at any price. Whoeverhad a look at it said, "But this stuff is so impure! We don't want it!"He did not know anything about cotton or the process of purifyingit. One noon he got down from the cart and sought the shelter of averanda. It was so hot and he was very much fatigued. In one cornerof this veranda he found a goldsmith sitting before a pot of fire andblowing it up with an iron tube. "Friend, what are you doing?" theboy asked the goldsmith. "I am purifying gold," the goldsmith said. Healso explained to the boy how by heating gold the impurities couldbe taken away. The boy's spirits were at once roused. Now he knew what to do with his impure cotton! He could purify it ! At once he went to his lodge, got a huge pit filled with burning coals and dumped his cotton in it. And that was the end of the boy's trade as well as his father's hopes about his sons.

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