Summary of boy who sold wisdom
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Once there was, in Gujarat, a man who was fondly in love with his son. Sadly, the man died leaving his son with nothing to live on. The boy started working as a scribe, but the money he earned was barely enough to feed himself. “There should be a way to live better;” the boy thought one day, and suddenly he decided: “I shall sell wisdom! This is indeed something that everyone needs.”
And so he did. He rented a little shop, he bought paper and ink. On a huge banner, he wrote: “WISDOM ON SALE”.
On the first days he had only few curious people lurking around the shop, but he was not discouraged. After some time, the first customer came in. He was a boy with the money of his father that lacked the common sense of his mother. “What is the weight of wisdom?”
«You can’t buy wisdom by its weight», said the shopper. «It would be too expensive. But you can buy a nice piece of it with one rupee.»
The foolish buy immediately bought it. The shopper, with his neat handwriting, wrote on a piece of paper and told the customer. «Bring home this valuable piece of wisdom.»
The boy ran home, happy, looking forward to show his parents what he bought.
«What madness is this?» said his mother bitterly. «What’s on that piece of paper?»
The boy read: «You shall never stop by to watch two people that are quarreling.»
The boy’s father burst into a rage and forced the shopper to buy his wisdom back. The shopper agreed: «I will give you back your rupee, but I want my piece of wisdom back. Your son must never follow my words.»
The next day the boy was walking around when he stumbled upon two women quarreling. As promised, he stopped to listen. The women noticed him and asked him to take a position. The two girls worked for two important royal families, and the day after the two patriarch summoned the boy to bear witness and prove them right. The penalty for not doing so was death.
The situation was at a loss. The boy’s father ran at the wisdom shop and bough a piece of wisdom for 50 rupees: “The unwise shall pretend to have lost his memory while in tribunal.”
And so he did during the process. His life was spared, but his reputation was lost.
His father went back to the shop and bought some more wisdom. «The price is now 500 rupee,» said the shopper. «Wisdom is no longer for everyone!»
The man paid and received this piece of wisdom: «When the King is happy, go to him and tell him all the truth.»
The King laughed after the story of the unwise father, and he summoned the wisdom seller at his court. There he bought wisdom for 100.000 rupee. «Always think a lot before acting.»
The King was astonished by those words, and ordered his servants to paint them all over the palace.
Day passed by, and the king became ill. The prime minister, who was secretly trying to steal the King’s seat, paid the doctor to poison him.
While he was about to drink the poison, the King lifted his eyes and saw the wisdom on the wall. Slowly he placed the drink back on the desk, and the doctor panicked. He started begging for forgiveness, and the King figured out the plan to assassinate him.
And so the King banished the prime minister, punished the doctor and rewarded the wisdom seller. The wisdom seller was now so rich he could live forever with his savings, and now he could afford to freely give his counsel to people who asked for them. His wisdom helped a lot of people, old and young, rich and poor. The story of the wisdom seller traveled the world, and its value is... priceless
And so he did. He rented a little shop, he bought paper and ink. On a huge banner, he wrote: “WISDOM ON SALE”.
On the first days he had only few curious people lurking around the shop, but he was not discouraged. After some time, the first customer came in. He was a boy with the money of his father that lacked the common sense of his mother. “What is the weight of wisdom?”
«You can’t buy wisdom by its weight», said the shopper. «It would be too expensive. But you can buy a nice piece of it with one rupee.»
The foolish buy immediately bought it. The shopper, with his neat handwriting, wrote on a piece of paper and told the customer. «Bring home this valuable piece of wisdom.»
The boy ran home, happy, looking forward to show his parents what he bought.
«What madness is this?» said his mother bitterly. «What’s on that piece of paper?»
The boy read: «You shall never stop by to watch two people that are quarreling.»
The boy’s father burst into a rage and forced the shopper to buy his wisdom back. The shopper agreed: «I will give you back your rupee, but I want my piece of wisdom back. Your son must never follow my words.»
The next day the boy was walking around when he stumbled upon two women quarreling. As promised, he stopped to listen. The women noticed him and asked him to take a position. The two girls worked for two important royal families, and the day after the two patriarch summoned the boy to bear witness and prove them right. The penalty for not doing so was death.
The situation was at a loss. The boy’s father ran at the wisdom shop and bough a piece of wisdom for 50 rupees: “The unwise shall pretend to have lost his memory while in tribunal.”
And so he did during the process. His life was spared, but his reputation was lost.
His father went back to the shop and bought some more wisdom. «The price is now 500 rupee,» said the shopper. «Wisdom is no longer for everyone!»
The man paid and received this piece of wisdom: «When the King is happy, go to him and tell him all the truth.»
The King laughed after the story of the unwise father, and he summoned the wisdom seller at his court. There he bought wisdom for 100.000 rupee. «Always think a lot before acting.»
The King was astonished by those words, and ordered his servants to paint them all over the palace.
Day passed by, and the king became ill. The prime minister, who was secretly trying to steal the King’s seat, paid the doctor to poison him.
While he was about to drink the poison, the King lifted his eyes and saw the wisdom on the wall. Slowly he placed the drink back on the desk, and the doctor panicked. He started begging for forgiveness, and the King figured out the plan to assassinate him.
And so the King banished the prime minister, punished the doctor and rewarded the wisdom seller. The wisdom seller was now so rich he could live forever with his savings, and now he could afford to freely give his counsel to people who asked for them. His wisdom helped a lot of people, old and young, rich and poor. The story of the wisdom seller traveled the world, and its value is... priceless
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