Vivekananda Mailing List-12/29/02

[Guest guest]

" What! " they exclaimed, " you say this is no sacrifice; do you not know

how money and jewels were poured out to the poor and every one became

rich and happy? This was the most wonderful sacrifice any man ever

performed. " But the mongoose said, " There was once a little village,

and in it there dwelt a poor Brahmin with his wife, his son, and his

son's wife. They were very poor and lived on small gifts made to them

for preaching and teaching. There came in that land a three years'

famine, and the poor Brahmin suffered more than ever. At last when the

family had starved for days, the father brought home one morning a

little barley flour, which he had been fortunate enough to obtain, and

he divided it into four parts, one for each member of the family. They

prepared it for their meal, and just as they were about to eat, there

was a knock at the door.