🧙‍♂️ The Foolish Sage 🪙

Long ago, there lived a sage named Deva Sharma.

He stayed in a small temple just outside a town.

People liked him and brought him food, clothes, and many gifts to show respect.

Whatever he didn’t need, he sold — and little by little, he became quite rich.

But Deva Sharma trusted no one.

He kept all his money in a small bag and carried it under his arm all the time.

He wouldn’t put it down, not even for a moment.

One day, a tricky man passed by the temple.

He noticed how tightly the sage held the bag and thought, “That bag must have treasure. I want it.”

He planned to steal it, but the temple walls were strong and high.

Then he thought, “If I pretend to be kind and polite, maybe he will let me stay with him. Then I can take the bag.”

So he walked to the sage, bowed down, and said, “Guruji, please teach me. I want to live a peaceful life.”

The sage smiled kindly and said, “You are blessed, my child. You may stay with me and learn.”

The tricky man touched his feet and said, “Please accept me as your disciple.”

The sage agreed but added a rule: “I spend my nights alone to meditate. You will sleep in the little hut near the temple gate.”

The tricky man agreed quickly.

He worked hard, cleaned the temple, washed the sage’s feet, and looked very obedient.

But the sage still didn’t trust him enough to put the money bag down.

Days passed, and the tricky man grew impatient.

“I must find a way,” he thought.

One morning, a young boy came to invite the sage to a special ceremony.

The sage agreed and took his new disciple with him.

On their way, they reached a river.

The sage needed to step aside for a moment.

He folded his money bag into his robe and said, “My child, keep an eye on this robe until I return.”

This was the moment the tricky man had been waiting for.

As soon as the sage went behind the bushes, the man grabbed the robe and ran away with the money.

When the sage returned, he saw only the robe lying on the ground.

His money bag was gone.

The sage cried, “Oh no! He has robbed me!”

He tried to follow the footprints, but the man had already reached the busy town.

The sage knew he could not find him now.

Sadly, he returned to his temple the next day, empty-handed.