4. What would have happened if the boatman had stopped the boat when the greedy merchant called out?
Answers
Explanation:
This is another nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant of Seri, who sold brass and tin ware. He used to go from place to place, in order to sell his products. He was usually accompanied by another merchant, who also sold brass and tin ware.
Explanation:
The old woman said, “My child, the merchant who came earlier, went away throwing the plate on the ground. I have nothing else to offer in trade”. The girl replied, “Grandma, that merchant was bad-tempered. This merchant looks nice. Ask him, might be he’ll give some small tin ware”. The old woman accepted the idea and asked the girl to call the merchant. The girl showed the plate to the merchant.
As soon as the merchant took the plate in his hands, he came to know that it was of gold. He said, “This plate can’t be afforded with what all I have here. This is a golden plate. I am not rich enough to buy it”. The grandmother replied, “But, a merchant who came here a few moments ago threw it on the ground saying that it was not worth even a half penny and went away”.
The merchant said, “It was worth nothing to him. If you value it, take the dishes you want to take”. The little girl took some dishes of her choice but the merchant was not satisfied with the offer. So, he gave all the money and his wares to the old woman. He required eight pennies for the transport, so he asked the old woman for it.
The old woman readily gave him the amount. The merchant took the pennies and left the place. He quickly went towards the river and paid eight pennies to the boatman, to take him across the river. Soon, the greedy merchant went back to the house of the old woman. When he reached the desired house, he called up the girl and said, “Bring that plate and I will give you something for it".
The grandmother replied from inside, “No. You considered the plate worthless, but another merchant has paid a huge price for it and taken it away. It is a golden plate”. Thus, the greedy merchant got angry and left the place. He cried, “Due to this other merchant, I have lost a small fortune. That was a golden plate”. He ran down to the riverside and saw the other merchant in the boat. He called loudly, “Hello, Boatman. Stop your boat”.
The merchant in the boat asked the boatman not to stop. Accordingly, the boatman didn’t stop. The merchant reached the city which was on the other side of the river. He sold the golden plate and got enough money for his living. So, he lived happily thereafter.
Moral: Honesty is the best policy.