THE FOUR YOUNG MEN

In a village there lived four young men, and they could make up strange and impossible tales. One day they espied a traveler resting in the rest-house outside the village and he was wearing fine clothes. The young Men conspired to cheat him of his fine clothes. So they went to the traveler and engaged him in conversation. After some time one of the young men suggested, “Let us make a bet. Let each of us tell his most wonderful adventure and any one doubting the truth of the story shall become the slave of the narrator.” When the traveler agreed to the suggestion the young men smiled to themselves thinking the traveler to be an old fool. They did not suspect that the traveler could tell impossible stories and, even if he could, they merely had to say that they believed his story. On the other hand, they expected that as their stories would be so strange and impossible the traveler would forget himself and express his doubt as to the truth of the stories. Of course they did not really mean to make him their slave, but they meant to claim the clothes of the traveler, as a master owned not only the person of a slave but also his property. The young men went back to the village, and brought back the headman to act as a judge over their bet.

The first young man now narrated his wonderful adventure. “When I was in my mother's womb my mother asked my father to pluck some plums from the tree in front of our house, but my father replied that the tree was too high for him to climb. My mother asked my brothers, but they gave the same answer. I could not bear to see my poor mother disappointed over her desire to eat a few plums, so I slipped out and Climbed the tree. I plucked some plums, and wrapped them up in my jacket. Then I left the plums wrapped in the jacket in the kitchen, and re-entered my mother's womb. Nobody guessed how the plums came to be there, but my mother was able to eat some plums. As there were many plums left over after my mother had eaten, she gave seven plums each to all the inmates of the house and to all the neighbors. Still there were many plums left over, so my mother piled them in front of the door and, do you know, the door could not be seen from the street, so high was the pile of plums!” The first young man looked at the traveler hoping that he would express some doubt as to the truth of the story, but the traveler merely nodded his head to signify that he believed the tale. The other three men also nodded their heads.

Now it was the second young man's turn, and he said: “When I was a week old I took a stroll in the forest, and saw big tamarind tree with ripe tamarinds. I climbed up the tree swiftly as I felt so hungry. When I had eaten my fill, I felt so heavy and sleepy that I could not climb down. So I went back to the village and, bringing a ladder, I propped it against the tree. Then I came down by the ladder. It was really fortunate that I found a ladder in the village, otherwise I would still be up that tamarind tree.” The second young man looked expectantly at the traveler who, however, nodded his head to signify that he believed the tale. The other three young men also nodded their heads.

The third young man now narrated his wonderful adventure. “When I was of the ripe age of one year I chased what I thought to be a rabbit into a bush, but when I crawled into the bush I found that it was really a tiger. The animal opened his mouth wide, meaning to swallow me. I protested that it was grossly unfair of him, for I was looking for a rabbit and not for a tiger. But the tiger took no notice of my protest, and came nearer with his big mouth open. So, I caught hold of his upper jaw with my left arm, and gave a jerk. To my surprise, the huge animal broke into two and died.” The third young man looked expectantly at the traveler who, however, merely nodded his head to signify that he believed the tale. The other three young men also nodded their heads.

The fourth young man then narrated his adventure. 'Last year I went fishing in a boat but I could not catch a single fish. I asked other fishermen, and they said that they had not caught a single fish either. So, deciding to investigate what was happening at the bottom of the river, I jumped out of my boat and dived. After about three days I touched bottom, and I discovered that a fish as huge as a mountain was eating up all the other fishes. I killed the fish with one blow of my fist. By that time I was feeling so hungry that I decided to eat it then and there. So I lit a fire .and, after roasting the fish, ate it at one sitting. Then I floated back to the surface and regained my boat, none the worse for my little excursion to the bottom of the river.” The fourth young man looked expectantly at the traveler, who merely nodded his head to signify that he believed the tale. The other three young men nodded their heads also.

The traveler now told his adventure. “Some years ago I had a cotton farm. One cotton tree was unusually big, and was bright red in color. For a long time it had no leaf or branch, but four branches later appeared. The branches had no leaves but they had a fruit each. I plucked off the four fruits, and when. I cut them open, a young man jumped out from each fruit. As they came from my cotton tree they were legally my slaves, and I made them work on my farm. But, being lazy fellows, they ran away after a few weeks. Since that time I have been travelling all over the country in search of them, and only now have I found them. Young fellows, you know very, well that you are, my long-lost slaves. Come back to my farm with me now.”

The four young men hung down their heads in mortification, for they were in a hopeless position: if they should say that they believed the story, it would amount to an admission that they were the traveler’s long-lost slaves. But on the other hand, if they should say that they did not believe the story, they would become his slave according to the bet. The headman asked the young men three times to indicate whether they believed the traveler’s story or not but, as they remained motionless and speechless with downcast eyes, he declared that the traveler had won the bet. The traveler, however, was magnanimous. “The clothes that you are wearing belong to me,” he said, “for you are my slaves. Take them off and give them to me. After that I will give you your freedom.” So the young men had to surrender their clothes to him, and the traveler went away, shouldering the bundle of clothes that he had won by his wonderful story telling.

Photo Credit: Google Image
Author: Maung Htin Aung
Steemed by: Henry Aung (Kachin)