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audioduration (s) 1.21
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There was once a merchant who employed many carpenters and masons to build a temple in his garden.
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Regularly, they would start work in the morning, and take a break for the mid-day meals, and return to resume work till evening.
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One day, a group of monkeys arrived at the site of the building and watched the workers leaving for their mid-day meals.
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One of the carpenters was sawing a huge log of wood.
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Since it was only half-done he placed a wedge in between to prevent the log from closing up.
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He then went off along with the other workers for his meal.
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When all the workers were gone, the monkeys came down from the trees and started jumping around the site, and playing with the instruments.
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There was one monkey, who got curious about the wedge placed between the log.
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He sat down on the log, and having placed himself in between the half-split log, caught hold of the wedge and started pulling at it.
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All of a sudden, the wedge came out.
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As a result, the half-split log closed in and the monkey got caught in the gap of the log.
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As was his destiny, he was severely wounded.
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The wise indeed say, One, who interferes in other's work, surely comes to grief.
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One day, a jackal called Gomaya was very hungry, and was wandering about in search of food.
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After some time, he wandered out of the jungle he lived in, and reached a deserted battlefield.
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In this deserted battlefield, a battle was fought recently.
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The fighting armies had left behind a drum, which was lying near a tree.
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As strong winds blew, the branches of the tree got rubbed against the drum.
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This made a strange noise.
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When the jackal heard this sound, he got very frightened and thought of running away.
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If I cannot flee from here before I am seen by the person making all this noise, I will be in trouble.
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As he was about to run away, he had a second thought.
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It is unwise to run away from something without knowing.
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Instead, I must be careful in finding out the source of this noise.
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He took the courage to creep forward cautiously.
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When he saw the drum, he realized that it was only the wind that was causing all the noise.
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He continued his search for food, and near the drum he found sufficient food and water.
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The wise indeed say, Only the brave succeed in life.
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In a city called Vardhamana, lived a very efficient and prosperous merchant.
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The king was aware of his abilities, and therefore made him the administrator of the kingdom.
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With his efficient and intelligent ways, he kept common man very happy, and at the same time he impressed the king on the other side.
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Such a person, who can keep everybody happy, is rarely found.
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Later, there came a time that the merchant's daughter was getting married.
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He arranged for a lavish reception.
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The merchant not only invited the king and the queen, who obliged by attending, but he also invited the entire royal household and all respected people of the kingdom.
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During the reception, he ensured to provide his guests with the best of treatments.
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He gave out gifts to guests to show them respect for attending to his invitation.
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A servant of the royal household, who used to sweep the palace, was not invited but attended the reception.
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He took a seat which was reserved for royal nobles, not meant for common invitees.
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This made the merchant very angry.
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He caught him by the neck and ordered his servants to have him thrown out.
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The royal servant felt very insulted, and could not sleep all night.
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He thought, If I can have the king to disfavour this merchant, I will have my revenge.
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But what can I, a common fellow, do to harm a powerful person as him.
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Thinking such, he suddenly had a plan.
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Several days later, the servant was sweeping the floor near the king's bed early in the morning.
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He observed that that the king was still in bed, half awake.
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The servant started mumbling, Good heavens! The merchant has become so carefree now that he dared to embrace the queen!
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When the king heard this lying in his bed, he jumped up and asked the servant, Is it true? Have you seen the merchant embrace my queen yourself?
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The servant at once fell at the king's feet, O Master, I was gambling all night.
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I feel drowsy for I didn't sleep last night.
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I don't know what I have been mumbling, but I said anything improper, please forgive me.
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The king spoke no more, but the servant knew he had sowed the seed of distrust.
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The king thought, It can be true! The servant moves about the palace freely, and so does the merchant.
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It is possible that the servant has seen something.
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The king was troubled with jealousy.
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From that day onwards, he withdrew his favours from the merchant and even forbade him to enter the palace.
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One day, when the merchant was entering the gateway to the palace, he was stopped by the guards.
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The merchant was surprised due to this sudden change in the king's attitude.
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The servant was nearby, and mocking shouted at the guards, Ho Guards! That merchant is favoured by the king, He is a powerful person.
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He can have people arrested or released or even thrown out, just like he had me thrown out of his daughter's reception.
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Beware, for you may suffer the same fate.
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On hearing this, the merchant understood that the servant has caused all this trouble somehow.
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He felt dejected, and returned home upset over the incident.
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He gave everything a second thought, and then he invited the royal servant to his house.
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He treated the servant with utmost respect, and flattered him with gifts and garments.
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He said kindly, O friend, that day I did not have you thrown out due to anger, but it was improper of you to occupy the seat reserved for the royal nobles.
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They felt insulted, and out of compulsion I had to throw you out. Please forgive me.
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The servant was already flattered with all the gifts, and he was full of joy, Sir, I forgive you. You have not only expressed your regrets, but also honoured me with utmost respect.
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He ensured the merchant, I will prove you how clever I am.
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I will have the king favourable towards you, like he was before.
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The servant went back home.
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Early next morning, when he started sweeping the floors of the palace, he waited till when the king was lying half-awake.
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When the opportunity came, he started sweeping around his bed and started mumbling, Our king is crazy, he eats cucumber in the lavatory!
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On hearing this, the king was taken aback.
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He got up angrily and shouted at the servant, What nonsense do you talk about? Had you not been by royal servant, I would have punished you dearly.
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Have you ever seen me doing such thing yourself?
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Once again the servant fell on his knees and prayed, O Master, please forgive me if I said something improper.
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The king thought to himself, I have never eaten a cucumber in the lavatory.
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What he mumbled about me is ridiculously false.
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Surely then, what he mumbled about my trusted merchant the other morning must have been ridiculously false too.
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It was improper of me to mistreat the merchant.
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He wondered, After all he has been so efficient in the whole administrative system, that without him it has become slack.
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Thus, having considered carefully, the king invited the merchant to the palace and flattered him with gifts, jewels and garments.
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He re-appointed the merchant to his previously held position, and favoured his services as before.
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The wise indeed say, One should treat one and all, even the lowest, with respect.
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Once upon a time, there was a sage called Deva Sharma who lived in a temple in the outskirts of a town.
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He was widely known and respected.
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People would visit him, and offer him with gifts, food, money and garments to seek his blessings.
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The gifts that he did not need for himself, he would sell off, and got rich on the proceeds.
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And by nature, he trusted nobody.
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So, he kept all his money in a bag which he carried under his arm all the time.
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He would not part with the bag for a single moment.
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One day, a swindler came across the sage, and he became sure that the bag this holy man was so possessive of, must surely contain a lot of treasure.
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He planned on stealing the bag from the sage, but could not think of a way to do so.
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He thought, I cannot make a hole in the temple wall, or jump over the high gates.
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But I can charm him with sweet words to accept me as his disciple.
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He wondered, If I can stay with him as a disciple, I can win his confidence. When I get an opportunity, I will rob him, and leave this place.
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Having planned so, the swindler approached the holy man with reverence, Om Namah Shivaya! I bow before Lord Shiva, the God of Destruction.
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With these words, he fell on the sage's feet and said, O Guruji, Please guide me to the right path of life.
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