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Payal looked at her granddad expectantly and said “grandpa will you buy me the big doll in the opposite big toy store?” They were seated on a bench in a walkers park granddad looked at the little 8 year Payal and said with a smile ” I have to ask the old man in the cave first”.
Payal asked ” whose he?”.
Grandpa seated her closer to him and said ” I guess it’s time I told you about him. Grandpa narrated on ” Long ago in a land called nowhere land there lived a king who lavished his wealth unreasonably on undeserving subjects .one day a sage came to the kings court and said “O king I have come for charity what will you give me a treasure chest or a bag of grains” the king said your talking to a king take a treasure chest”
The sage said ” go on a tour of your kingdom tomorrow ,two more of my brothers will approach you with similar request s let’s see what you give them.” Saying this the sage left.
The next day the king did as he was told first a sage with a large beard approached him near the river and said ” oh king I’m hungry will you give me a big ship or three big fish to sell and buy food”The king said ” you are talking to a king I give you my ship.” And the king moved on.
After a short distance he came across another sage with a shorter beard the sage said ” oh king I’m a shelter less sage will you give me few planks of wood to build a house or will you give me a palace?”.
The foolish king said again ” your talking to a king, take a palace” to this response the sage got furious and said “oh king you only know how to squander wealth so you don’t deserve it, I curse you that you lose all your wealth, till you advise a hundred men how to spend money wisely and he who doesn’t listen to your advice will be damned to live in a lonely cave with you “Saying this with eyes widely opened grandpa ended his narrative.
He held his granddaughter s hand and took her home.After an hour the little one ran to her dad and showed him a pretty little doll she said excitedly “you know dad i asked grandpa to buy me a big doll but he got me this can you guess why?”
Dad smiled and said” I guess the old man in the cave advised him to get you this little one instead” and winked at his dad
Children should be taught the careful use of money for a penny saved is a penny earned.