The Four Gold Coins

Siddharth was a young, good-natured merchant. Looking for work, he arrived in a village. He liked the people of the village so much that he decided to use all his savings, buy a house and live there forever. While searching for a house, he met Uday. Though Uday was a poor man now, his family had been extremely wealthy once. Uday was looking to sell his old family mansion so as to pay off his family's loans. Siddharth loved the house Uday showed him and bought it immediately. Then he set about repairing the mansion which was in ruins. As he dug out the old flooring, he found a sealed box buried underground. When he opened it, to his surprise, he saw it filled with scorpions. He flung the box away in fright.

That evening he went to the wisest man in the village and asked him about the box. The saint thought for a while and then said, "The box contains money but is enchanted by a spell put on it by Uday's ancestors. If anyone other than a family member opens it the box will appear to be swarming with scorpions. Siddharth hung four scorpions in every corner of his newly opened shop to make sure that someone from Uday's family takes the treasure. His customers used to laugh behind his back but Siddharth didn't mind. Soon his shop came to be known as the Scorpion Shop. One day a boy came to Siddharth and asked, "Sir, I have heard that you are wealthy and often help the needy. I had stopped going to school because I could no longer pay the fees. Could you please lend me so I can finish my studies?" Siddharth shook his head sadly.

"The villagers have exaggerated about my wealth," he said."Yes, I am earning enough, but not so much that I can lend you money, though I would have loved to do so." The boy flared up and said, "Sir if you don't want to lend money, please say so openly. Why do you lie? And you have even hung four gold coins in every corner of your shop. You..." At this Siddharth leaped, "Are you related to Uday Kamalakar? Has your family ever lived in this village? "The boy was a bit taken aback, "Yes, I am Uday. I was named after my grandfather. He used to live here long ago but then he fell on hard times and had to sell his ancestral property. Siddharth told the boy to wait and brought back from his home the box of scorpions. As Uday opened it, his eyes nearly fell out of his head. there he held more treasure than there was on treasure island.

He looked up at Siddharth and then Siddharth said, "Yes, this is all yours." Then he told him his story. Uday was euphoric. He offered Siddharth half his wealth in gratitude but Siddharth would hear none of it. Uday still remembers Siddharth as 'the funny old man' who kept his wealth safely for him.