The Ultimate Way
Long, long ago there lived two friends, one rich and the other poor. They were neighbors in a small hamlet beside the forest. It was a sunny day and they went out for a pleasant stroll together. Soon they fell into a serious discussion. "Life is full of misery, yet I think, to do good is better than to do evil," said the poor man. "Ha! Ha!" laughed the rich friend. "Absurd! The world is full of vice and evil. To follow the path of goodwill lead you nowhere." But the poor man stood firmly by his statement. "All right, then let's lay a wager," proposed the other. "We'll ask their opinion of the first people we meet. If they say you're right, then all my belongings will be yours. In case they support my view, then everything you have will be mine." The poor man agreed to the wager.
Soon they met, a hefty man with a long mustache. He had a knife dangling from his waistbelt. "Friend," they said, coming up to him, "We want to ask you something." "Very well," the stranger was curious. "Which way can one prosper - through doing good or doing evil?" the friends asked. "Once upon a time, I was a hard-working, honest farmer. But alas, my master fleeced me of most of my earnings. Then I left him and turned into a highwayman. Today I'm wealthy and happy. You may draw your conclusion," said the stranger. "Do you see how right I was in my views?" asked the rich man. The poor man became sad. But there was nothing he could do, and they continued on their way. After a while, they came across a merchant leading a donkey loaded with goods. "Good day, O honest merchant!" they greeted. "Good day to you!" replied the merchant with a little bow. "May we have your opinion on a certain subject?" they asked. "Please be free and tell me what it is you want to know!" said the traveler. "Good or evil - which do you think is the better way to live?" "Dear fellows, doing good doesn't pay. Can you imagine how much I have to lie and cheat in order to sell my products? It's a pity, but there's no selling otherwise! I'm sorry, but I've to be dishonest to earn my daily bread. Such are the ways of the world," he said and continued on his journey. "I've proved right once again!" exclaimed the rich man jubilantly.
His poor friend's spirits fell. What could he do but keep silent? They walked on and soon met a rider who looked learned noble. "Salutations, Your lordship," they greeted. "Tarry a while. May we have your wise opinion on an important matter?" "Why not? Go ahead," responded the stranger, pulling the reigns of his horse. "To tread the path of good or evil - which according to your learned self is a better way of life?" they asked. "Ah! Ah! My friends, to tell you frankly, there's no success through straight and honest means. If I were to follow strictly the ways of the good and the righteous, could I ever have risen to..." the nobleman did not complete what he wanted to say and sped away. "Now, you've lost the bet and must turn over all your belongings to me," said the rich friend, with a victorious grin. They trudged homewards in silence. One smiling all the way and the other, morose and lost in deep thought. So, the poor man gave away all his humble belongings to his rich friend, except for his thatched shelter. "You may stay here while you look for another place to move in," suggested the rich man. Some days passed. One day, the poor man's hut was without a morsel of food and his children began to cry of hunger. He went to his rich neighbor's house and begged for a measure of grains and a loaf of bread. "I'll give you what you want, only in exchange for one of your eyes," he replied.
It was a choice between his eye and feeding his famished children. He chose the latter and returned home with some food but half-blind. After a week, the provisions ran out and the children were hungry once again. So he sought the help of his rich friend. He agreed to do so, provided he let him put out his other eye too. "Don't do such a thing, my friend! How can I live with both my eyes gone? Have mercy on me, friend," he implored. But the rich man was adamant. The poor one had no choice but to forfeit his remaining eye. With the sack of flour hung over his shoulder, the poor blind man groped his way home, with great difficulty. His wife was stunned and began to weep. "Don't you worry, dear," he consoled her. "I'm not the only blind man in the world! There are many. But they manage to live, after all!" Before long they were left with no food at all. "I'll not go to my friend for help at this time. Take me instead to the great Oak on the way to the shrine and in the evening come and fetch me home. Many people pass that way and some of them surely understand my woes," he told his wife in the morning. So under the great Oak, he sat and the kind-hearted ones among the passers-by gave him a coin or two and pieces of bread. Evening came, but his wife did not turn up. It was a desolate place, close to the forest. The blind man was impatient to get home and decided to do so all by himself. Suddenly, he heard the howling of jackals and the hooting of owls and knew that he had taken the wrong direction and was in the woods.
He climbed a tree and sat on one of its topmost branches, for fear of wild animals that prowl at night. He prayed silently. Everything was quiet. The wind blew and the leaves rustled. Midnight struck and there came flying through the darkness a host of evil spirits to the spot under the same tree. They had all pointed nose, horn-like ears on their head, long fingers, and little wings. One of them wore a black satin jacket and round glasses on his eyes. His manners showed that he was their chief. "I've managed to blind a friend for some measures of grains and flour," said one. "You've done well, but not very well," said the chief. "Why not?" "For the blind man can see again by rubbing his eyes with the dew of the leaves of this tree, if by chance he comes to know of this remedy," said the leader. He then questioned the next dark spirit on his deeds. "I've turned all the wells in the nearby village, even the ponds and lakes, dry! The people would soon begin to die of thirst. Ha! Ha!" "You've indeed done well, but not well enough. For if the mossy rock that lies at the foot of the hill to the east of the village is removed, a stream of sweet water will gush forth and quench the thirst of all." replied the chief. He then focused his gaze on the third member of his circle: "What did you accomplish?" "I've succeeded in blinding the beautiful princess. All the great doctors have failed to bring back her sight," he replied. "You've done well but the dew on the leaves of this tree can restore her sight too!"
The poor blind man on the tree heard the conversation, most attentively indeed. When the spirits departed, he rubbed his eyes with the dew on the leaves, and lo, he could see once again. But he did not forget to gather some of the magic dew in a small earthen vessel he found on the road before he set off on his way. He reached the arid village. With the people's help, he rolled the enchanted rock. Lo and behold, there gushed forth a spring with the sweetest water and filled the wells, ponds, and lakes, full and deep. The grateful villagers showered their savior with much wealth. The happy man now galloped to the capital. Presenting himself before the king he said, "Your Majesty, please give me the opportunity to cure your daughter of her blindness." "All my best physicians have failed to restore her sight. How can you do it?" asked the king, rather surprised. However, he had no objection to giving him a trail. The man was led into the chamber where the princess lay on her bed. He rubbed her eyes with magic dew and she could see again. The king's joy knew no bounds. He rewarded the poor man with precious gifts he had never even dreamt before! He returned home in the royal carriage.
While his grieving wife was beginning to think that he was dead, she heard a gentle knock on the door. She opened it and who else should she find but her husband - and with his eyes wide open? The man recounted his adventures to his speechless wife and children. The rich neighbor called on them and marveled at their sudden turn of fortune. "How did it all happen?" he asked. The friend told him all that he had passed from beginning to end. The rich man felt amazed. He nodded wisely. At nightfall, the wealthy friend stole into the forest and climbed the same tree in the middle of the night, with the dark spirits gathered under it. "What's this mystery?" asked the leader. "That blind chap can see, the village abounds in water, and the princess has regained her sight! Is some fellow listening to us from his hiding?" They began searching the tree. Discovering the rich man, they thrashed him mercilessly and hurled him down. He limped back home, never to be able to walk straight. One day, he visited his neighbor. "Now I agree with you, dear friend. To tread the path of good is a better way of life than that of evil. Forgive me my stupidity and cruelty," he said and shook his friend's hands warmly.
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