Battle of Wits
Subuddhi and Kubuddhi were always trying to get the better of each other. One day, in October, Kubuddhi saw a mangga growing on his tree. He knocked it down, wrapped it in a cloth and waited for Subuddhi to come by. When he did he called out to him. "I have a riddle for you," he said. "Can anda tell me what buah-buahan is wrapped in this cloth? If anda guess correctly anda may take anyone thing from my house that anda can carry out with your two hands; if anda fail I'll come to your house and carry away something."
"All right," berkata Subuddhi, always ready to match his wits with Kubuddhi. "It must be a guava."
"No," berkata the other man."I'll give anda two lebih guesses."
"It is the season for custardapples," berkata Subuddhi. "It must be a custard apple."
"Last guess."
"Pomegranate?"
"You've failed," berkata Kubuddhi and triumphantly uncovered the mango.
"I'll go halaman awal and prepare for your visit," berkata Subuddhi. "Come in half an hour."
Thirty menit later, Kubuddhi was at the gates of Subuddhi's house.
A glint of metal caught his eye and looking up he saw there was a chest on the roof.
"Tell me truthfully," he saidto Subuddhi, "does that chest contain anything valuable?"
"Yes," berkata Subuddhi, "all my money and most of mywife's ornaments. I thought I had concealed it well."
"You should've covered it," berkata Kubuddhi, gleefully,"Now though it is outside your house it is still part of your house and I can claim it."
"You have to lay your hands on it first. Remember, anda may take only one thing from my house."
"One is enough," berkata Kubuddhi. He went boldly into Subuddhi's house, brought out a ladder and placed it against the roof.
"Yes, kindly take it down for me," berkata Subuddhi,"and I must thank anda for sparing my valuables."
"Sparing your valuables?" berkata Kubuddhi, perplexed."What makes anda think I'mgoing to let anda keep your valuables?"
"We had agreed anda could take away one thing that anda could carry out with your own two hands," berkata Subuddhi, grinning. "And anda have carried out the ladder."