Some stories of fools from the Kathasaritsagara

Some stories of fools from the Kathasaritsagara

     Once there was a merchant who had a foolish son.He went to an island called Katahadweepa to sell fragrant aloe wood.But in that island since none knew about aloe wood,they did not buy his aloe wood.However,he saw that they were buying charcoal, and he burnt all his wood, and getting charcoal out of them,he sold the charcoal for it's rate.He then returned home and appraised himself for his'cleverness'!

        Once a foolish farmer ate some fried sesame and felt it was very tasty.He then, thinking that if he sowed fried sesame, the same would grow and sowed fried sesame.When nothing grew, people laughed at his foolishness!

          One night,a fool thought that since he required water for bath and fire for the insence to worship God,it would be good if both were together.He hence put charcoal in the drum of water and slept.The next morning he saw that the charcoal had lost it's heat and water had become dirty!

         Once a fool thought that his wife's nose was flat and his teacher's nose was long and straight.Feeling that his wife should have such a long and straight nose,he cut off his teacher's nose while he was sleeping and brought it.He then cut off his wife's nose too and put his teacher's nose in that place.Nothing grew there,but he made both lose their noses!

         Once a foolish cotton trader went to sell his cotton,but none bought it seeing that it was impure.He at that time saw that a goldsmith was selling his gold after purifying it by heating it in fire.Seeing this,he too tried to purify his cotton by putting it in fire and all his cotton got burnt, making people laugh at him!

          Once a foolish person went to his father in law's house for the first time.Seeing in the kitchen white plain rice kept for cooking by his mother in law, he got attracted to it and put a handful of it into his mouth! Exactly at that point of time, his mother in law came in, and he, out of shame, could neither swallow the rice nor spit it out!Due to this, his cheeks became swollen up! Seeing this, his mother in law thought he had some disease and brought in her husband.Seeing him,he brought a doctor.The doctor thought he had a swelling and made a slit in his cheek.And out came the rice grains, and people laughed at him!