Related Content
Worksheets
- Costly Gifts (Quiz Whiz)
- Costly Gifts (Word Jumble)
Fun & Games
None Available
Costly Gifts
Read by Tanushree Dutta
Full Text
“Costly Gifts”
One day the king of a powerful nation left his palace for a stroll. Waiting outside his gates was a man holding a chicken. As the king passed, he lowered his head and held the chicken out as an offering. “Majesty,” said the man, “Luck has been kind to me. I gambled in your name and won this lovely chicken, so it is yours."
The king was surprised, but pleasantly so. “Oh,” he said, “alright then!” and he gave the chicken to one of his attendants to take back to the palace.
The next time the king went out for a stroll, the man was waiting for him. This time, however, he had with him a goat. Again, the man bowed and held out the rope tied around the goat's head to the king. “Majesty,” said the man, “Luck has once more been kind to me. I gambled in your name again and won a goat. Please take it."
The king was not one to say no to a gift, so he had the goat brought to his stables.
It was not more than a week before the king met the man outside the palace again. This time, though, there were two large and angry looking men with him. The king wondered what he would get for free this time. The man looked nervously back at his associates and then back at the king. he had two men with him. “Majesty,” said the man, “Luck has not been kind to me. I gambled in your name again lost 50 gold pieces to each of these men and they are demanding to be paid.” Instantly, the king realized he had made a big mistake by accepting the chicken and the goat. By allowing himself to reap the benefits of the man's gambling in his name, so too did he agree to shoulder the burden of the loss.
THE END
One day the king of a powerful nation left his palace for a stroll. Waiting outside his gates was a man holding a chicken. As the king passed, he lowered his head and held the chicken out as an offering. “Majesty,” said the man, “Luck has been kind to me. I gambled in your name and won this lovely chicken, so it is yours."
The king was surprised, but pleasantly so. “Oh,” he said, “alright then!” and he gave the chicken to one of his attendants to take back to the palace.
The next time the king went out for a stroll, the man was waiting for him. This time, however, he had with him a goat. Again, the man bowed and held out the rope tied around the goat's head to the king. “Majesty,” said the man, “Luck has once more been kind to me. I gambled in your name again and won a goat. Please take it."
The king was not one to say no to a gift, so he had the goat brought to his stables.
It was not more than a week before the king met the man outside the palace again. This time, though, there were two large and angry looking men with him. The king wondered what he would get for free this time. The man looked nervously back at his associates and then back at the king. he had two men with him. “Majesty,” said the man, “Luck has not been kind to me. I gambled in your name again lost 50 gold pieces to each of these men and they are demanding to be paid.” Instantly, the king realized he had made a big mistake by accepting the chicken and the goat. By allowing himself to reap the benefits of the man's gambling in his name, so too did he agree to shoulder the burden of the loss.
THE END