A Set Of Fools

In a particular village, there was a wealthy 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 by entrusting them with 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 in the morning, when the eldest boy was about to start his journey, his mother said, “Don’t stay there too long. It is a place where even fire and water are scarce.” She meant that it was a bleak place.

But the eldest 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 pools 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 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.”