Once, a rich landowner while dying told his three sons to dig under his bed. Some days later, the sons dug there and unearthed three pots. The topmost pot contained mud, the middle pot contained the dried dung of a cow and the lowest pot contained straw. Below this pot was a silver coin. “What did our father wish to convey?” asked the oldest brother. But none could find an explanation. Finally, they consulted their doctor who was also a family friend. The doctor laughed and said, “The interpretation is simple. The pot containing mud means that your father wanted his oldest son to have his fields. The pot containing a cow’s dung means he wanted his second son to have his cattle. The pot containing straw means he wanted his youngest son to have all his gold. And the silver coin–well, your father knew you would come to consult me. The coin is my fee.”
Moral: Always be farsighted.
The Three Pots
