Battle of Wits
Subuddhi and Kubuddhi were always trying to get the better of each other. One day, in October, Kubuddhi saw a maembe, embe growing on his tree. He knocked it down, wrapped it in a cloth and waited for Subuddhi to come by. When he did he called out to him. "I have a riddle for you," he said. "Can wewe tell me what matunda is wrapped in this cloth? If wewe guess correctly wewe may take anyone thing from my house that wewe can carry out with your two hands; if wewe fail I'll come to your house and carry away something."
"All right," alisema Subuddhi, always ready to match his wits with Kubuddhi. "It must be a guava."
"No," alisema the other man."I'll give wewe two zaidi guesses."
"It is the season for custardapples," alisema Subuddhi. "It must be a custard apple."
"Last guess."
"Pomegranate?"
"You've failed," alisema Kubuddhi and triumphantly uncovered the mango.
"I'll go nyumbani and prepare for your visit," alisema Subuddhi. "Come in half an hour."
Thirty dakika later, Kubuddhi was at the gates of Subuddhi's house.
A glint of metal caught his eye and looking up he saw there was a chest on the roof.
"Tell me truthfully," he saidto Subuddhi, "does that chest contain anything valuable?"
"Yes," alisema Subuddhi, "all my money and most of mywife's ornaments. I thought I had concealed it well."
"You should've covered it," alisema Kubuddhi, gleefully,"Now though it is outside your house it is still part of your house and I can claim it."
"You have to lay your hands on it first. Remember, wewe may take only one thing from my house."
"One is enough," alisema Kubuddhi. He went boldly into Subuddhi's house, brought out a ladder and placed it against the roof.
"Yes, kindly take it down for me," alisema Subuddhi,"and I must thank wewe for sparing my valuables."
"Sparing your valuables?" alisema Kubuddhi, perplexed."What makes wewe think I'mgoing to let wewe keep your valuables?"
"We had agreed wewe could take away one thing that wewe could carry out with your own two hands," alisema Subuddhi, grinning. "And wewe have carried out the ladder."
Subuddhi and Kubuddhi were always trying to get the better of each other. One day, in October, Kubuddhi saw a maembe, embe growing on his tree. He knocked it down, wrapped it in a cloth and waited for Subuddhi to come by. When he did he called out to him. "I have a riddle for you," he said. "Can wewe tell me what matunda is wrapped in this cloth? If wewe guess correctly wewe may take anyone thing from my house that wewe can carry out with your two hands; if wewe fail I'll come to your house and carry away something."
"All right," alisema Subuddhi, always ready to match his wits with Kubuddhi. "It must be a guava."
"No," alisema the other man."I'll give wewe two zaidi guesses."
"It is the season for custardapples," alisema Subuddhi. "It must be a custard apple."
"Last guess."
"Pomegranate?"
"You've failed," alisema Kubuddhi and triumphantly uncovered the mango.
"I'll go nyumbani and prepare for your visit," alisema Subuddhi. "Come in half an hour."
Thirty dakika later, Kubuddhi was at the gates of Subuddhi's house.
A glint of metal caught his eye and looking up he saw there was a chest on the roof.
"Tell me truthfully," he saidto Subuddhi, "does that chest contain anything valuable?"
"Yes," alisema Subuddhi, "all my money and most of mywife's ornaments. I thought I had concealed it well."
"You should've covered it," alisema Kubuddhi, gleefully,"Now though it is outside your house it is still part of your house and I can claim it."
"You have to lay your hands on it first. Remember, wewe may take only one thing from my house."
"One is enough," alisema Kubuddhi. He went boldly into Subuddhi's house, brought out a ladder and placed it against the roof.
"Yes, kindly take it down for me," alisema Subuddhi,"and I must thank wewe for sparing my valuables."
"Sparing your valuables?" alisema Kubuddhi, perplexed."What makes wewe think I'mgoing to let wewe keep your valuables?"
"We had agreed wewe could take away one thing that wewe could carry out with your own two hands," alisema Subuddhi, grinning. "And wewe have carried out the ladder."
