The rope of Ash

Once there was a rich merchant who had only one son. His son was very lazy and foolish. The merchant was very worried about his son. He would become the heir to all his wealth. He wanted his son to use the money wisely. So, he decided that he would marry his son to a wise woman. 

He called his son and told him to take a herd of rams to the market and buy five bags of rice. His son asked him if he should sell the rams. The merchant told him to bring the rice and the rams back.

The son was confused. He went to the market and sat there waiting for someone to help him. No one came to his help. Everyone was busy and no one paid attention to him. It was noon and he hadn’t bought the rice. 

He decided to go to his house. As he was getting up to leave a girl came and asked him are those rams for sale. He told her that they were not for sale. Then she asked him why he was sitting there. He was amazed by her beauty. He told her about the task his father had given him. He asked her how he could buy rice without selling the rams.

She told him you should go home with the rams but you can sell their wool. They went and borrowed a pair of shears and cut the rams’ wool. He sold all the wool and had enough money to buy five bags of rice.

He took the rams and the rice home and showed his father. His father did not say anything. He told him to come to the dining room the next morning. The next morning he went to the dining room and found his father waiting for him there.   

His father told him to take the same rams to the market and buy six bags of barley. He told him to bring the barley and wool back. His son like the day before was stumped.

He went to the market and sat there waiting for someone to help him. He hoped that the girl would help him again. That noon the girl came again and asked him what was the task his father had given today.

He told her the task his father had given him. He asked her how he could buy barley without selling the rams or its wool. She again helped him. She told him that he could sell the horns of the rams. 

He thanked her and cut the horns of the rams and sold it and bought six bags of barley. He went home and showed the barley. His father knew that he had not done the work all by himself. 

He asked his son to tell the truth about who had helped him. He told his father about the girl. His father told him to tell the girl to make a rope of ash.

The son went and told the girl about the task for her. She went home and kept a rope on a tile and burnt it. The rope was burnt but the ash was left on the tile.

She took the tile and ash of the rope to the merchant and showed it to him. The merchant was very happy with her asked her to marry his son. They were married. After the death of the merchant his son continued his business with the help of his intelligent wife.