108.Short Story: Half the Profit

A rich man arranged a great feast……… the occasion was his son’s marriage…….. a fisherman brought five big fish ……..gatekeeper allowed him to go in but with half the profit ………asked for hundred shoes as a reward……….. the rich man came to know the cause……… dismissed the gatekeeper ………..Moral.

Ans:- HALF THE PROFIT

Once a rich man arranged a big feast. It was the occasion of his son’s marriage. The choicest dishes were prepared for the guests. But the fish could not be had. There had been no rain that year. There had been little water in the streams. So there was a scarcity of fish.

The Richman on the other hand greatly demanded fish. He sent an express word to bring fish for this great occasion. At last, a fisherman succeeded. He caught five very big fish. He came running to the venue of the wedding. He very well knew that he would get a very good reward besides the price of the fish. But sadly he was not allowed to go in and meet the rich man. The gate-keeper was greedy. He permitted the fisherman to go with a promise that he would part with half the profit.

The fisherman agreed and he was let in. The rich man was greatly pleased to see the fish. They were of the finest quality. He gave the price of the fish to the fisherman. But he was not satisfied. He wished to reward the fisherman, too. He asked for the prize—whatever he wanted, he would be given. After much hesitation, he requested for 100 shoes to be struck on his back. The rich man thought him to be a mad man. He asked his men to beat him with shoes very gently. When they counted up to, 50, the fisherman cried, “Stop! stop !!,”. The men stopped. The fisherman told that he had another partner — the gate-keeper who was to be given ‘half the profit’.

The rich man at once called for the cunning gatekeeper. He ordered his men to shoe him in the severest manner. He dismissed him at once. But he gave a handsome reward to the good fisherman.

Moral: Greedy people do suffer in the end.