Two Friends

Mangal and Kamal, two friends, presented their disagreement before the king. They had engaged in a bet, and Kamal complained that Mangal had agreed to pay him four hundred rupees if he lost. Now that he was about to lose, Mangal claimed he would only give four rupees instead of four hundred.

When the king asked for an explanation, Mangal replied, “My lord, when Kamal said he would give two hundred rupees if he lost the bet, I said I would give four. I never mentioned four hundred.” The king was impressed by Mangal’s cleverness and decided to give Kamal four hundred rupees on behalf of Mangal while also offering Mangal a job in his government.

The two friends returned to court the following day, facing a new problem. While walking together, Mangal stumbled upon some money lying on the road. Since he was the one to notice it first, he believed he should keep it. However, Mangal insisted that Kamal accept half of the amount, which led to Kamal’s complaint.

The king was impressed by Kamal’s integrity. “How many people are there who would insist on refusing money?” he mused, and then decided to offer Kamal a job as well.

“By the way, what was your bet yesterday?” the king inquired. The friends confessed: Mangal had said that he would find a job not only for himself but also for Kamal!