The Three Fools  

Once there was an old Brahmin who had three sons. Now, even though the old Brahmin was very wise and learned, his three sons had grown up to become unread, foolish, and lazy. This worried the old man. One day he called his sons together and said to them, "Look my sons….you have spent enough years doing nothing. Now it is time for the three of you to go and find a teacher who will give you the knowledge and learning to live a fruitful life.

The three young Brahmins agreed and they went out into the world in search of a good master. They found such a master who educated them and taught them to be wise and to never vainly test or use their new-found knowledge. Now, the three young Brahmins were learned. They knew many things. They had even learned a few really amazing things.

One day they decided to go back to their village to meet their father. He would be so happy to see them learned and equipped to face the world. So the three Brahmins set off. On the way, they had to cross a big forest. While they were walking in the forest, they saw a hunter who had just skinned a lion, putting the skin and bones in separate bags. The three Brahmins stopped him and paid him off for the skin and bones. Then they decided to test their knowledge. One of them pulled out all the bones in the bag and using a spell he had learned arranged the bones together to form a perfect skeleton of a lion. The second Brahmin used a spell he had learned and covered the lion with flesh, tissue, muscle, and skin. The third Brahmin used a spell he had learned and given life to the lion. The lion got up and true to its nature killed all of them.

Betal having completed his story turned to King Vikram and asked him, “You saw how the three lazy young Brahmins acquired knowledge. But they fell short of being wise. Can you tell me which one of the three Brahmins was the most foolish?”

King Vikram answered, “Doubtlessly, all three were fools to test their knowledge vainly. But the biggest fool among the three Brahmins was the one who gave life to the lion. It was one thing to build a skeleton or to give it flesh and skin and another thing to give life to a dead lion. Therefore due to his extreme foolishness, all three paid with their lives.”

Betal chuckled in amused appreciation. “O King Vikram, you certainly have an answer to all problems. But if only you learned to remain silent. Well, here I go again.”

Betal took off back to the banyan tree followed by an enraged but determined King Vikram.