The Foolish Man's Fortune
- Apangbagi Laibak -
- Animal Fables-

Fungawari Singbul by B. Jayantakumar Sharma *

Art Work - Phurailatpam Banti

Animal Fables:
Funga Wari Singbul: Page 21
Apangbagi Laibak

Once upon a time, there lived a foolish man and his wife. One day when he was guarding his field, an elephant flew down from the sky and started eating up his paddy.

So angry was the man that he vowed to punish the elephant. He moved in slowly towards the elephant and grabbed it by the leg. The elephant was caught off guard and flew up towards the sky.

As the elephant flew higher, they cross the atmosphere and reached the Sky Kingdom. The Sky King was surprised to see a live human at his kingdom and asked him the reason for his visit.

The foolish man told him how the elephant ate up his paddy and further said that he should be compensated for his loss. The King was pleased with his straight-forwardness and simplicity that he gave him lots of gold and silver for his loss, and also asked the elephant to drop him till his house.

Now the poor foolish man become a very rich man. His wife is adorned with gold and silver. In the same locality, there lives a clever man whose wife sells vegetable.

Every time the fool's wife comes to buy things from her, she used to pay her more with gold and silver. The sudden riches of the fool were now the talk of the locality.

So one day, the clever man asked the fool about the way he became rich so quickly, the fool told him the whole story. Then the clever man request him to take him to Sky Kingdom as the foolish man was done being poor, to which the fool agreed. Now, the two men wait for the elephant to show up again.

Days passed and fortunately one fine day, the elephant flew down from the sky to feed at the fool's field. The fool, like before grab its leg and the clever man grab hold on the fool's waist.

Then the elephant flew up to the sky with the two friends hanging on it. Hanging by the elephant's leg, two men were having a conversation.

The greedy clever man asked, "Friend, how much gold and silver does the King has?"

The fool while trying to describe the quantity with his hand released both his hands from the leg of the elephant.

So both of them fell down from the sky with the fool on top of the clever man and the clever man dies.

So the fortunate fool lived happily ever after with the riches Sky King had given him.

Moral: One shouldn't be jealous of other's luck/fortune.