Rupee should have been Saved

This is the next generation episode of the story titled  "Two-in-one and One-in-two".  Kodandarama, son of Ramachandra and Sita was growing up under the care of his grandfathers, Dasharatha Rama and Janakirama.  He had invaluable sources at home for imparting lessons in saving and accumulation.  With grandfathers of the caliber of Dasharatha Rama and Janakirama and parents like Ramachandra and Sita, he had every gene for savings and avoiding expenditure itself, let alone wasteful expenditure.  People living in nearby areas were amazed at the level of savings consciousness exhibited by Kodandarama even as a child.   While playing in mud or sand like many kids, he would use minimum quantity of mud or sand and yet derive maximum pleasure.  After he started going to school he would never ask his parents to buy marbles or pencils for him.  He would lure his classmates to play some game or the other with marbles or pencils as wager and win the games to ensure that he always had enough supply of marbles and pencils.

By the time he passed his second year at school at the age of seven and moved to third standard, his classmates were scared of playing with him because of this capacity to win wagers and games.  Even then Kodandarama's remarkable persuasive capacity always triumphed and he would manage to draw his classmates repeatedly into wagers and games.  His exploits reached the Head Master of the school and he decided to teach young Kodandarama a lesson of his life so that his habit of luring classmates to betting would end for ever.  The Head Master took him to his room and had a lengthy session counseling against such a habit.   Young Kodadarama patiently listened to him.  He told the Head Master that he would take the last bet of his life then and there and in case he suffers losses from it, he would quit and would never entertain such a habit thereafter for life.   The Head Master was very happy at his success, looked forward to Kodandarama's failure now and agreed to his condition gladly.  Kodandarama told the Head Master that he would bet five rupees that there was a wound mark on the Head Master's back.  Head Master was surprised at this offer as he knew very well that there was no such mark on his back.  He jumped at the prospect of earning five rupees for no effort and took off his shirt to show his back.  Kodandarama made a cursory inspection, conceded that there was no wound mark and declared that he lost the bet.  He took out a five rupee note from his pocket, kept it on the table and smilingly walked away.  Pleased with his earning but wondering why Kodandarama went smiling, a beaming Head Master was putting on his shirt when another teacher walked in and started laughing.  Head Master was annoyed and asked the teacher why he was laughing.  The teacher told the HM that Kodandarama had bet a rupee each from ten students and five rupees each form two teachers including himself that he would make the HM remove his shirt on that day.  Now that HM had removed his shirt, Kodandarama lost five rupees to HM, but won twenty rupees outside!  The teacher added insult to injury by saying that this would be a good example for the "Profit and Loss" chapter in the arithmetic class for the students.

One day kodandarama's mother gave him a rupee and asked him to bring Ghee (clarified butter) from the shop.  Kodandarama went to the shop and dutifully bought the Ghee.  The shopkeeper put the ghee in a banana leaf bowl (ದೊನ್ನೆ) and handed it to Kodandarama.  He cautioned Kodandarama to be careful as the ghee may spill because the bowl was open at the top.  Kodandarama nodded his understanding the instructions and started his walk back home.  When he was half way home he fell down and all the ghee was spilled.  Kodandarama got up crying and one of his teachers on the street saw this crying boy.  He consoled and comforted Kodandarama.  He told the boy to come home slowly and he would alert his mother and tell her not to scold or beat him for the loss of ghee.  Kodandarama agreed and the teacher walked fast, went and told Kodandarama's mother about the incident.  Instead of fuming at the loss, Sita told the teacher not to worry as her son would not fall for a loss.  Unable to understand the meaning of her comment and cursing himself for indulging in this affair, the teacher went on his way.

Sometime later Kodandarama walked in to the house.  His mother asked him why he fell down.  Kodandarama told her that he saw a ten rupee note lying on the street and wanted to grab it before anyone else saw it.  He also wanted to ensure that his picking up the note should not attract attention of other people on the street.  As a matter of strategy he fell on the note, picked it up and pocketed it, and started crying thereafter to earn sympathy of those nearby.  He handed over the note to his mother.

The mother took the note for safe-keeping and cleaned the traces of mud on the boy's shirt.  She gave him another rupee coin and sent him again to get ghee from the shop.  She reminded him of how fielders take a catch in a cricket match and how they hold the ball pointing upwards even when they dive and slide.  "If only you had dived with the banana leaf bowl pointing skywards, the ghee would have been saved as well.  Another Rupee should have been saved.  Next time you fall, remember thisKodandarama learnt yet another valuable lesson in savings.

Kodandarama is still at school perfecting the art of savings.  If he finds any new method or learns a new lesson in savings, I will definitely let you know.