Once a mighty king was hunting in a dense forest. Suddenly the sky became cloudy and it started raining heavily. The sun set and slowly it started getting dark. In the dark, the king forgot his way to his palace and was separated from the soldiers. Distraught with hunger, thirst and exhaustion, the king sat down on a mound at the edge of the forest. After a while he saw three boys there.
The three boys were good friends. They were going towards the village. Hey kids! ‘Come here,’ the king called to them. When the children reached there, the king asked them – ‘Will I get some food and water from somewhere?’ I am very thirsty and hungry too.
The boys replied – ‘Sure’. We go home and bring something now. They ran towards the village and immediately brought water and food. The king was very pleased to see the enthusiasm and love of the children.
The king said – “Dear children! What do you want to do in life? I want to help you all.”
After thinking for some time a boy said – ‘I want money. I have never eaten roti twice. I have never worn beautiful clothes, so I only want money. The king smiled and said – OK. I will give you so much money that you will be happy for the rest of your life. On hearing this word the happiness of the children knew no bounds.
The other boy asked with great enthusiasm – “Will you give me a big bungalow and a horse carriage?’ The king said – if this is what you want, then your wish will also be fulfilled.
The third boy said – “I do not want money nor a bungalow-car. You give me such a blessing so that I can become a scholar by reading and writing and after completing my education I can serve my country. Hearing the wish of the third child, the king was very impressed. He arranged good education for him. He was a hardworking child, so he studied day and night one by one and became a great scholar and when the time came, the king appointed him as a minister in his kingdom.
One day suddenly the king remembered the incident that happened years ago. He said to the minister, “What is the condition of two more children who were with you years ago… I want to meet all three of you together once again, so tomorrow invite both of your friends for a meal. Take.”
The minister sent a message to both of them and the next day they all appeared together before the king.
‘I am very happy to see you three together once again today. I know about them…but tell both of you about yourself. ”, said the king, placing his hand on the minister’s shoulder.
The boy who had asked for money said sadly, “King sir, I made a big mistake by asking you for money that day. Having got so much money, I became lazy and spent a lot of money in useless things, a lot of my money was also stolen….and within a few years I got back to the same state in which you saw me.”
The boy who asked for a bungalow-car also started crying, “Maharaj, I was living in my bungalow with great pride, but in the floods years ago, everything was ruined and I also reached the same position as before.
After listening to them, the king said, “Tie this thing properly, wealth and wealth do not always remain with us, but knowledge is useful to man throughout his life and no one can steal it. Education itself makes a man a learned man and a great man, so the biggest wealth is “Vidya”.