The Brahmin's gift
Once, there lived a pious Brahmin by the name of Mitra Sharma in a
small village. He used to perform religious rituals. On one occasion, he
was rewarded with a goat for his services by a wealthy man. The Brahmin
was happy to get a goat as the reward. He happily slung the goat over
his shoulder and began the journey towards his home. On the way, three
cheats saw the Brahmin taking the goat.
All of them were lazy and wanted to cheat the Brahmin so that they
could take away the goat. They said," This goat will make a delicious
meal for all of us. Let's somehow get it". They discussed the matter
among themselves and devised a plan to get the goat by fooling the
Brahmin.
After deciding the plan, they got separated from one another and took
different hiding positions at three different places on the way of the
Brahmin.
As soon as the Brahmin arrived at a lonely place, one of the cheats
came out of his hiding place and asked him in a shocking manner, "Sir,
what are you doing? I don't understand why a pious man like you needs to
carry a dog on your shoulders?" The Brahmin was surprised to hear such
words. He screamed, "Can't you see? It's not a dog but a goat, you
stupid fool".
The cheat replied," Sir, I beg your pardon. I told you what I saw. I
am sorry if you don't believe it." The Brahmin was annoyed at the
discrepancy, but started his journey once again.
The Brahmin had barely walked a distance, when another cheat came out
of his hiding place and asked him, "Sir, why do you carry a dead calf on
your shoulders? You seem to be a wise person. Such an act is pure
stupidity on your part." The Brahmin yelled, "What? How can you mistake
a living goat for a dead calf?" The second cheat replied, "Sir, you seem
to be highly mistaken in this regard. Either you don't know how a goat
looks like or you are doing it knowingly.
I just told you what I saw. Thank you". The second cheat went away
smiling. The Brahmin got confused, but continued to walk further.

Again the Brahmin had covered a little distance when the third cheat
met him. The third cheat asked laughingly, "Sir, why do you carry a
donkey on your shoulders? It makes you a laughing stock". Hearing the
words of the third cheat, the Brahmin became really worried. He started
thinking, "Is it really not a goat? Is it some kind of a ghost?"
He thought that the animal he was carrying on his shoulders might
really be some sort of a ghost, because it transformed itself from a
goat into a dog, from dog into a dead calf and from a dead calf into a
donkey. The Brahmin got frightened to such an extent that he hurled the
goat on the roadside and ran away.
The three tricksters laughed at the gullible Brahmin. They caught the
goat and were happy to feast on it.
Moral: One should not be carried away by what others say.
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