The Fortunate Boy[1]
At a certain city there was a poor family, it is said. Of that family, the father having died, the mother and also a son remained, it is said. The mother, by [reason of] her destitute state without food, was supported by pounding [rice into] flour for hire at the shops, it is said.
While getting a living thus, having sent the son to school he began to learn letters. While he was staying in that way for learning them, one day [his mother] having sent him to school, at the time when he was coming home he was looking on nearby while a great rich man was getting a ship prepared on the sea shore. While he was thus looking, at the time when this boy having gone near looked, the work at the ship was becoming finished, it is said.
Owing to it, the boy, speaking to the rich man, says, “Will you sell this ship?” He asked [thus], it is said.
[In reply] to it, the rich man having looked in the boy’s direction, said in fun, “Yes, I will sell it.”
The boy asked, “For how much will you sell it?”
“For five hundred pounds for the ship on which pounds, thousands in number, have been spent I will give it,” he said.
On account of it the boy, having placed in pawn his books and slates at a shop near by, and having [thus got and] brought twenty-five cents,[2] and given them as earnest money for the ship, says, “To-morrow morning at nine, having secured the money I will take the ship,” he said. The rich man through inability to say two words remained without speaking, it is said.
The boy having gone home, at the time when he was there, when his mother asked, “Why, Bola, where are thy books and slates?” the boy says, “Having asked the price for a new ship of such and such a rich man, and agreed to take it, I placed the slates and books in pawn, and bringing twenty-five cents I gave them as earnest money,” he said.
His mother having become angry at it, and having beaten the boy, scolding him drove him away without giving him food, it is said.