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