An old couple lived near a bamboo forest. Every day, the old man would cut some bamboo and bring it home. They would weave umbrella caps and baskets that the old man sold in the village.
One day, they had six umbrella caps. So, the old man took them to the village market to sell. That day, it began to rain as he was walking along. So, he tied a towel around his head as he continued on his way.
Nearing the village his eyes fell on seven statues of the Buddha by the wayside. The rain fell heavily on them. The old man looked at the statues, wondering why he had never noticed them earlier.
“But the poor Buddhas will get damaged by this heavy rain. Besides, they must be feeling wet and cold,” he thought, “I’ll put the umbrella caps on them.”
So one by one he put the new caps on the Buddhas. Then he realised he was short of one cap. “I better get one for him too. But while I fetch it, I can’t leave him standing around without any cover.”
He removed the towel from his own head and wrapped it over the Buddha. The he hurried home. He and his wife sat down to make an umbrella cap quickly.
As they were making the cap, they heard voices outside their hut.
“Is this the house?”
“Yes, the old couple lives here.”
“They are very kind and generous. We must reward them handsomely.”
“They expect nothing.”
“I know. That is why we’ll reward them.”
Then the voices faded. The old man looked out and there was no one to be seen anywhere. It was very strange. They had no idea whose voices they had heard.
He went in and they finished the seventh cap. The old man went out again to the village. On the wayside, he stopped and looked around for the statues of the Buddha. There was no sign of them. There were six caps and his towel lying there.
The old man picked the caps up and put them in his basket. When he tried to pick his towel up, it seemed heavy. He opened it and found it was full of gold coins.
He folded his towel with the tears of gratitude running down his face. The Buddhas had given him and his wife a real treasure in return for their kindness!
Moral: Kindness always brings good returns.
