The Merchant's Three Sons
Panchatantra Stories · 1 min read
A dying merchant, having lost most of his fortune in his final years, called his three sons to his bedside. "I leave you no gold," he told them, "only three gifts: to the eldest, wisdom; to the second, courage; to the youngest, a small remaining purse of silver coins. Use them well, and you will want for nothing."
The eldest son took his gift of wisdom and spent his days reading and reciting clever sayings at gatherings, admired by all but earning nothing from it. The second, given courage, picked fights and took reckless risks to prove his bravery, and was soon badly injured with nothing to show for it.
The youngest took his modest purse of silver and, rather than spending it, invested carefully in a small trading venture, studying the markets and taking calculated risks only where the odds favored him. Within a few years, he had built a genuine fortune — and it was he alone who was able to support his two brothers when their inherited "gifts" left them with nothing at all.
Moral of the story
A gift, however great, is worthless until it is put to careful, patient use.