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coconut store. Kankbhat asked the salesman of the store the price of one coconut. The sales man replied, "Two paisa." At this Kankbhat said, "Well, gentleman"! I hail from a far off place. Please allow me some discount and sell me a coconut for one paisa." At this the owner of the shop said, "We are traders. How can we sell you a coconut below the price we paid for it? If you want to buy a coconut for one paisa, go to a coconut field. There you will get it for one paisa."
Hence Kankbhat marched forward in search of a coconut field. After travelling a short distance, he came across a farmer. He enquired him the price of a coconut. The peasant answered, "The price is one paisa." By this time the greed of the Brahman was roused all the more and he said, "Well brother! I come from a distance place. Please give me a coconut free of cost." Being enraged the farmer spoke, "If you want to get a coconut cost free, go to the forest and pluck with your own hands as many cost-free coconuts as you like from the trees, which belong to none." Being overjoyed Kankbhat proceeded towards the forest. In the forest he saw trees overloaded with coconuts. Seeing them he was overwhelmed with joy. But he did not know how to climb a coconut tree. Anyhow he climbed upon a tree. The problem was how he should pluck coconuts now. He did not know plucking of coconuts from the tree as well. When he tried to pull the bunch of coconuts from the tree, in this process his foot slipped from the stem of the tree and he hung in the middle holding the branch in his hand. No sooner did he peep downward, than he saw a deep well nearby. He wailed, "Alas! Now I shall meet untimely death." He was greatly terrified.
A man on camel back was passing by that way just then. Kambhat prayed to the camel rider, "Brother! Save my life." It was a golden opportunity for the camel driver to fish in others' troubled waters. So he asked, "Well! Tell me what will you pay me for saving your life?" Kambhat replied, "I have five hundred rupees in my pocket, I shall give them to you." The camel rider was overjoyed. He brought the camel close to the tree and making the camel stand under it, himself he stood on the camel back. As soon as he caught hold of the legs of Kankbhat to give him support, the camel slipped away from under him and fled. Now two persons were suspended from the tree instead of one.
Meanwhile, the king's elephant driver, riding his elephant was passing from that side. Seeing the two men hanging from the tree, he began to laugh. The two persons hanging from the tree appealed to him to rescue them. The elephant driver was also overpowered by greed. He also asked "What will you pay me for saving you?" Kambhat promised to pay him five hundred rupees, and the camel driver also agreed to reward him with one thousand rupees. The elephant driver was thrilled. He made the elephant stand under the tree and hardly had he caught hold of the legs of the lower person taking right position on his elephant, the elephant also fled away being perplexed. Now three persons were swinging from one and the same twig of the tree.
By this time Kankbhat was dead tired of hanging so long. Ultimately he spoke, "My hands are fully unnerved; now my grip of the tree twig is getting loose." Being terrified the two lower persons said, "Oh brother! Do not do so; otherwise all of us will be killed." At
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