Vageesh Express

Fable of the Month

The Legitimate Earning

- Dina Nath Dube

There was a milkman. His name was Ram. He had some cows and buffaloes. He supplied milk in the bazaar adjoining his village.

He used to carry milk daily in the morning in a big pot in a bullock cart.

Early in the morning, he would put milk in the pot and proceed straight to the river, which flowed near the bazaar. At the river, he would take water from it and fill up the half-filled pot.

After distributing milk from door to door, he would again stop at the river, wash the milk pot and count the earnings of the days. This was his daily routine.

On the bank of the river, there was a banyan tree. Some monkeys were living there. One of the monkeys who was aged watched the activities of the milkman closely. He was surprised at the milkman's conduct.

He decided to teach him a lesson. One noon, the milkman stopped there as usual, kept his bag and belongings near the tree and took the pot for washing it in the river.

This was the moment; the monkey had been waiting for long. He instantly came down, took the bag and climbed upon the tree. After washing the pot, when the milkman returned, he found his bag missing. It contained his mouth's earnings. He was full of sorrow and dismay. He was looking here and there, when he saw on the top of tree an aged monkey holding his bag firmly and smiling mischievously.

The milkman begged him to return the bag but the monkey clambered to another branch. The monkey opened the bag and began throwing half the money near the milkman, who grabbed it. But the milkman became very desperate when he found that the other half of the money was thrown into the river.

The milkman was helpless. He was ashamed of his act and felt that he deserved only half; the rest belonged to the river.

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