The Mouse Merchant

Introduction and Explanation

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Today I am going to tell you a story of Somadatta and his business skills which made him wealthy and respectable. Once a rich merchant was scolding his lazy son saying “I gave you so much money to start a business and yet you have not earned anything. You are good for nothing! Look at this dead mouse. A capable man can start a business even with something as useless as this!” Somadatta who was a poor orphan boy heard his words. He went in and requested the merchant, “Please lend me this mouse as a capital and I will try my luck.” The merchant burst out laughing. But still, he gave the mouse to somadatta and took the receipt that somadatta wrote out to him. Somadatta was walking down the street with the dead mouse in his hand, when another shopkeeper saw him and called him.”Come here, boy. I need the mouse to feed my cat. I will give you two handfuls of gram for it.” Somadatta accepted the gram. After a few years, somadatta became a wealthy merchant in the town. One day he asked the goldsmith to make him a small golden mouse. He took the mouse to the rich merchant. “I had borrowed a dead mouse from you as capital many years ago. Today I have come to return it. Please accept this golden mouse. The rich merchant was greatly surprised. He was so impressed with Somadatta’s business skills that he gave him his own daughter in marriage. Thus Somadatta who was a poor orphan boy earned money and respect due to his intelligence, hard work and politeness.