The Miserly Father

There lived in a city a brahmin known for his miserliness. Everybody he went out begging for alms. At the end of the day, he saved some of the corn flour he got as alms, in an earthen pot. 

When it was full, he hung it on a peg above his bed so that he could keep an eye on it. One day, coming home very tired, he went straight to bed and fell sleep. Then he started dreaming. 

When his pot was full with corn flour, there was a famine in the country. Taking advantage of the situation, he sold the corn flour at a high price. He bought two she-goats with the money so earned. 

In course of time, when the she-goats multiplied into a large herd, he sold them profitably and bought cows and buffaloes with that amount. 

Some time later, he sold the cows and buffaloes at a huge profit and bought horses. Again, as the horses increased in number, he sold them and earned a huge sum. Soon he bought lots of gold and built a grand house with four floors. 

Impressed by his wealth, a rich merchant gave his beautiful daughter to him in marriage. A son was born to them. 

One day, the brahmin was playing with his son. As part of the play, he hid in the stable and called out to his son to find him. But when he saw that his son was going dangerously close towards the horses, he shouted to his wife to rush and take the child away. 

But she ignored his call as she was busy with domestic chores.  He became angry and kicked her.

The miser’s dream shattered abruptly as he kicked the flour pot in reality. The corn flour in the pot spilled all over his body. He looked like a white ghost.