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