Bedtime stories for Kids - Medicine from Himalayas

Medicine from Himalayas


Shrigupta was a landlord who always worried about the welfare of his subjects. He was never tired of making new plans for ponds or barrages or temples for the benefit of his people, or of festivals for their amusement. If there was a dispute between two groups of people or families, he intervened. The solution he gave was ungrudgingly accepted by the quarreling parties. The king heard the praise of Shrigupta and invited him to the court, in order to honor him. Shrigupta entrusted the burden of his estate to his son, Joygupta. "Perform your duty with diligence," he advised the young man on the eve of his departure. The king was very happy to meet Shrigupta. He passed several hours every day talking to him. Shrigupta helped him in drafting guidelines for the conduct of the other landlords of the kingdom. Shrigupta spent two months in the king's court. Then he requested the king to allow him to return home. They gave him a festive farewell. Shrigupta, upon his return home, saw that Joygupta had performed his duty very well. All the welfare projects were carried on in full swing. Nobody missed Shrigupta. Joygupta continued working with the same vigor even after Shrigupta was back. A few months passed. Joygupta marked that his father looked sick. In spite of Shrigupta's protest, he called several physicians to examine him. All the physicians were of the same opinion: Shrigupta suffered from no ailment.


But Shrigupta continued to lose his apetitie and weight. Then anxious son announced a reward of thousand bucks for anybody who could restore his father to health. A young man from the neighborhood, Sudhir, confided to Joygutpa that he had diagnosed the disease, but the cure can be possible by a rare herb that was available only in the Himalayas. What is more, the medicinal plant must be plucked by the patient's son. It would not be effective if touched by someone else. Joygupta trusted Sudhir. He started his journey to the Himalayas, accompanied by Sudhir. It took them six weeks to reach the foot of the Himalayas. After wandering for a while, Sudhir said quite casually, "Well, I don't see the medicinal plant anywhere. Let's go back." Joygupta was shocked. "You ought to have known better before making me come all the way!" he said. It took them another six weeks to be back at home. To his pleasant surprise, Joygupta found his father fully cured. The old landlord was working hard, looking after the affairs of his estate. Sudhir took Joygupta aside and said, "Now, let me have my reward!" "You are not only irresponsible, but also shameless. How do you expect the reward without giving any treatment to my father?" Joygupta asked in disgust. "How was your father cured if I gave him no treatment?" "What do you mean?" asked Joygupta. "Your father's sickness was mental. He loved his work. That kept him fit. You took over his works and did not allow him to do anything even after he returned from the court. No doubt, you did so with goodwill for him. But he felt depressed for lack of work. That everything went on all right even without him, was a blow to his ego. That made him sick. "Had I disclosed my diagnosis to you earlier, you would not have believed me. That is why I took you away. He got a chance to work and feel that he was important. That made him happy. Happiness gave him back his lost health" "Bravo!" exclaimed Joygupta and, without another word, handed over the reward to Sudhir.

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