INTRODUCTION:
From the readings and sapthahams and Navahams I attended in Mumbai, I could gather some knowledge which I would like to share with my readers who have always evinced and expressed great interest and inquisitiveness to acquire the knowledge potential. I too strongly believe that the knowledge we gather from books and discourses and even discussions with knowledgeable souls should be shared with others from time to time. Otherwise, it remains futile like the wealth with a miser which is of no use. I am sure these stories and articles which contain good morals will be more helpful particularly, to the younger generation to instil in them a passion for learning our cultural heritage!
Here in these series of articles and stories, I wish to start with some striking stories which I recollect from Bhagavatham etc and I wish to begin with:
15. THE CAP SELLER AND THE MONKEYS:
Once there was an old cap seller in a village. He was living there with his wife and children mainly on the income from the sale of caps. He used to buy the required materials from the city from where he was selling the caps. His wife and children also helped him in making the caps, packing it etc.
Every day morning, he used to leave for the city market which is about 4-5 miles away and he used to walk both ways carrying the bag on his head as he had no conveyance like a cycle or a motorcycle or any other thing. Therefore, he had to depend upon his 11 number bus service, ie, his on legs. While returning home he would buy the necessary vegetables, provisions and other things.
He was very happy with his small business and the income received every day and he was leading a very happy family life, containing all family expenses within the limited income. On his way back, he used to take rest under a huge branchy banyan tree with a round half wall for some time to take out his tiredness. Sometimes, If the sale was so good and the stock got over, he would return still very early also. On such a day, he had a strange experience. He was damn tired and slipped into profound sleep, keeping his bag beside. There were many monkeys and baby monkeys on the tree. When he woke up from his sleep, he found all the caps were missing and as he looked up, he saw many monkeys in the tree, wearing his caps. He was very much upset and was wondering how to get back those caps from the monkeys. Suddenly one old method came to his mind and accordingly, he threw his cap at them and in return they too threw their caps at him and thus he collected all the caps. He heaved a deep sigh of relief and returned home happily. Next time onwards, he exercised enough caution and thus saved himself from further loss of his caps.
In the efflux of time, he bid adieu to this world and his son took up the sale of caps, made at home and he was flourishing by introducing innovative and attractive fashions in the models for children and adults of all age groups.
One day while returning home after the sale of caps in the market, he was taking a short nap under the banyan tree like his father. When he got up from his nap, he found the caps missing for the first time. He found that all the monkeys sitting in the branches of the tree were wearing the caps. Suddenly, the advice given by his father once came to his mind and he wanted to experiment it.
He threw his own cap at them and waited for their reaction. Alas! His own cap came back and he wondered what happened? Again, he waited for some more time looking upward, then the youngest monkey told the man “Sorry sir. our grandfather has taught us that when you take and wear the caps, the man will throw his cap at you expecting that you will also throw back his caps. We did that mistake during our time. So, be smart and never commit that mistake by throwing back the caps at any time.” The result was he had to return disappointed losing all his caps.
The lesson or moral of this story is-
Don’t underestimate anybody. The younger generation becomes smarter and smarter and one has to be more careful while dealing with them! The generation gap will always be there!
