Exchanging Turquoise for Happiness

Dangphu Dingphu there lived an old man called Meme Haylay Haylay in a village in Bhutan. One day Meme Haylay was digging a

meadow when he found a large round yu, a turquoise.

He stopped digging and went home, carrying the stone. On the way, he met a man with a horse who asked him, “Where are

you going, Meme Haylay?”

The old man replied, “Meme’s fortune is burning today. As I was digging a meadow, I found this turquoise.” Before the horseman could even see the jewel, Meme Haylay proposed, “Will you exchange your

horse with the stone?”

The horseman was speechless, for who in the world would barter a turquoise with a horse? Meme Haylay put down his basket and

showed the jewel. The horseman was only happy for the poor old man.

“Will you exchange your horse with it?” Meme Haylay asked again.

“Don’t joke, Meme Haylay! Your yu is priceless, whereas my horse is worthless!”

“Priceless or worthless, you talk too much. If you’re for the trade, take this stone and hand over the horse’s rope to me,” Meme Haylay

said, looking stern.

The horseman lost no time in passing the rope to Meme Haylay and went his way with the stone. He felt like the happiest man in the

world. Meme Haylay went his way, also feeling happy. In fact, he felt happier than the horseman.

On the way, he met a man with an ox and exchanged the horse with the ox. He then bartered the ox with a sheep, only to exchange the sheep with a goat. He took the goat until he traded it with a rooster.

In every transaction, Meme Haylay thought he was better off, while all his barter partners considered him a fool. As he went home, carrying the rooster under his left arm, he heard a song from some distance. The closer the music came, the more joyous he became. Tears of happiness welled Meme Haylay’s eyes as he listened.

“I feel so happy from merely hearing the song. How happier I would feel if I knew how to sing it myself,” he thought.

Suddenly he came face to face with the singer himself. The song man asked, “Where are you going?”

The old man smiled. “Today, Meme’s fortune is burning. As I was digging a meadow, I found a turquoise. I exchanged it for a horse, the

horse for an ox, the ox for a sheep, the sheep for a goat, and the goat for this rooster. Take this rooster and teach me how to sing.”

The song man did not believe his ears. He thought it was unlikely for a poor man to find a turquoise. Only the richest, powerful,

meritorious, or luckiest persons would ever find such jewels. And, he thought, supposing this poor old man was lucky, even a fool would not exchange it for a horse, the horse for an ox, the ox for a sheep, the

sheep for a goat, and the goat for a rooster.

One mistake would have served a lesson even to a fool person. However, the song man was finally convinced that Meme Haylay

was serious about his trade. So he taught him his song. After parting with his rooster and the song man, Meme Haylay went home singing the song.

Meme Haylay Haylay felt he was the happiest person in the world, the richest person in the world, and the most successful trader

in the world.

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