The Clever Cat and the Wise Judge
Intermediate · ≈ 6 min story · 2 min read
Four merchants each claim a leg of the clever cat that saved their cotton from rats. When an accident sets the warehouse on fire, they rush to blame one partner. The wise judge Maryada Rama shows them that those who share the credit must also share the responsibility.
Once upon a time, four merchants ran a successful business together.
Their warehouses were filled with soft bales of cotton.
But they had one big problem. Rats!
Every night, the rats chewed through the valuable cotton. The merchants worried and worried.
Finally, they bought a clever little cat.
The cat chased away every rat. Soon, all the cotton was safe again.
The four partners loved the cat so much that each one claimed one of its legs as his own.
"This is my leg," each said. "I will take care of it."
They even decorated their chosen leg with beautiful anklets.
One day, the leg belonging to the fourth partner was badly hurt.
"Meow!" cried the poor cat.
The fourth partner gently wrapped the injured leg with an oily cloth.
"This will help it heal," he said.
That night, the cat was chasing rats through the warehouse.
Suddenly, its bandaged leg brushed against a burning oil lamp.
The oily cloth caught fire!
Frightened, the cat ran wildly from one cotton bale to another.
Within moments, the fire spread through the whole warehouse.
By morning, every bale of cotton had turned to ashes.
The merchants were heartbroken.
The first three partners pointed angrily at the fourth.
"The fire started because of your cat's leg. You must pay for all the damage!"
"It was an accident," the fourth partner protested. "I never meant for this to happen."
They could not agree. So they all went to the court of the wise judge, Maryada Rama.
Everyone explained their side of the story. Maryada Rama listened carefully.
Then he smiled.
"The fourth partner is not responsible for all the damage," he said.
The other three looked surprised.
"Tell me," said Maryada Rama. "Could the cat have run with only one leg?"
They looked at one another.
"No," they admitted. "The cat used all four legs to run through the warehouse."
"Then all four legs helped spread the fire," said the judge.
"If each of you claimed one leg, then each of you must also share the blame."
"The fourth partner will pay only one-fourth of the loss. The other three-fourths will be shared by the other three partners."
The courtroom fell silent.
The merchants saw how foolish their argument had been. They accepted the judgment with respect.
From that day on, they worked together instead of blaming one another.
And their friendship grew even stronger.
When success comes, everyone wants the credit. But when trouble comes, everyone must share the responsibility too. A true team stands together in both victory and difficulty.
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