The Brahmin and the Pot of Flour

In a small village, there lived a poor Brahmin named Swabhava-Kripana. He was so poor that he survived solely on the alms he received from the villagers. One day, he received a large clay pot full of flour as a donation. He brought the pot home and hung it on a peg right above his bed so he could keep an eye on it even while resting. One night, as he lay on his bed staring at the pot, he began to daydream. He thought, 'This pot is full of flour. If a famine strikes the village, the price of flour will skyrocket. I will sell this flour for at least a hundred silver coins. With that money, I will buy a pair of goats. Every six months, they will have kids, and soon I will have a whole herd of goats. I will then trade the goats for cows and buffaloes. I will sell their milk and become very wealthy. Next, I will buy horses and sell them to the king for a hoard of gold. With that wealth, I will build a magnificent mansion with four buildings. Seeing my riches, a wealthy merchant will come to me and offer his beautiful daughter in marriage. We will have a son, and I will name him Somasarman. When he is old enough to crawl, I will sit in the garden reading a book. He will crawl toward me, and I will call out to my wife to take him inside. But she will be busy with chores and won't hear me. In my anger, I will give her a kick to teach her a lesson.' Lost in his fantasy, the Brahmin actually kicked out with his leg. His foot struck the clay pot hanging above him. The pot shattered instantly, and all the flour spilled over him, covering him from head to toe. His dream vanished in a second, and he realized that by building castles in the air, he had lost the little food he actually possessed.