A Painting Competition

Once in the town of Madurai a prestigious award was put up for the best painter of the town. Three painters decided to try for the prize. They were all very good painters. One morning, all the three began to paint sitting under a big banyan tree. A huge crowd gathered to see their work. They too were eager to know who would get the prize. All the three were excellent painters and it would be difficult to judge who was the best among them. 

By evening the three painters completed their work. The first one had a painted a beautiful rose, the second a fruit, and the third a curtain. The judge was called to judge the paintings. The judge looked at the first painting and found bees sitting on the painted rose. It was indeed a fine painting. In no time some birds came around to the second painting and started to peck it thinking it be a real fruit. It was also an Amazing painting. The Judge then went to look at the third painting and seeing the curtain he tried to remove it as he thought that the painting was behind it. But to his surprise, he found that the curtain was not a real one but only a painting. The judge then awarded the prize to the third painter for, the first one had deceived the bees, the second had deceived the birds but the third had deceived man himself.

MORAL:- Don't be taken in by the apparent.