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