The Brahmin’s dream



A poor Brahmin lived alone in a village. He had no friends or family. He was notorious for being stingy and used to beg for a living. The food he received as alms was preserved in an earthen jar hung beside his bed. When he was hungry, he could simply get to the food.  

On one occasion, he received so much rice gruel that even after finishing his dinner, there was so much left in his pot. He had a dream that night in which his pot was brimming with rice gruel and he could sell the food to get money if a famine broke out.

This silver could then be used to buy a pair of goats, who would soon have children and form a herd. This herd might then be traded for buffaloes, which would produce milk from which he could make dairy goods. These things could be offered for a higher price on the market.This money would allow him to marry a wealthy woman and have a son whom he could both chastise and love. He saw himself chasing after his son with a stick if he didn't listen.

Wrapped up in his fantasy, the Brahmin picked up the stick near his bed and began beating the air with it. While thrashing around, he whacked the earthen pot with the stick, causing the pot to break and the contents to fall all over him. The Brahmin awoke with a start, only to realise it was all a dream.



Story moral

One should not construct castles in the sky.