Once upon a time, there were two merchants who lived in the town of Seri. Both of them sold brass and tin wares and traveled from place to place to sell their goods. One of the merchants was kind and honest. He always gave people fair prices and treated them well. The other merchant was greedy. He wanted to get everything for free or pay as little as possible when he bought something.
One day, the two merchants went to a town to sell their goods. They agreed to divide the streets between them so they wouldn’t disturb each other’s work. They also agreed that later, they could visit streets the other had already covered. Both of them walked through their chosen streets, shouting, “Buy tin wares! Buy brass wares!” People came out of their homes to see what the merchants had to sell.
In this town, there lived a poor old woman and her little granddaughter. They had once been rich, but now they had nothing left except for an old golden plate. The grandmother didn’t know it was made of gold. She kept it because her husband had once eaten from it, and it reminded her of him. The plate was kept on a shelf with some other old things they didn’t use.
The greedy merchant passed by their house, shouting, “Buy tin wares! Buy brass wares!” The granddaughter heard him and said, “Grandmother, please buy something for me.” The grandmother sighed and said, “We are too poor to buy anything. I don’t even have anything to trade.” The little girl thought for a moment and said, “We have that old plate. Let’s see if he will give us something for it. We don’t use it anyway.”
The grandmother agreed and called the merchant to their door. She showed him the plate and asked, “Sir, will you take this plate and give something to my granddaughter in return?” The greedy merchant looked at the plate carefully. He scratched the back with a needle and saw that it was made of gold. He quickly decided to trick them. He said, “This plate is worth nothing—not even a penny!” Then, he threw the plate on the ground and walked away, thinking he would come back later to take it for almost nothing since the grandmother didn’t know its true value.
Later that day, the honest merchant came to the same street, as they had agreed earlier. He walked past the house, shouting, “Buy tin wares! Buy brass wares!” The little girl heard him and said, “Grandmother, let’s ask this merchant. Maybe he will give us something for the plate.”
The grandmother hesitated. She said, “But, my child, the first merchant said the plate was worthless and threw it on the ground. I don’t think this one will be any different.” The granddaughter replied, “That man was mean. This merchant looks kind. Let’s try.” The grandmother agreed, and they called the merchant over.
When the honest merchant saw the plate, he immediately realized it was made of gold. He said, “This plate is very valuable, much more than anything I have with me. I cannot afford to pay you what it’s worth.” The grandmother was surprised and told him what the first merchant had said about the plate. The honest merchant shook his head and said, “That man lied to you. This is a golden plate.”
The honest merchant gave the grandmother all the goods and money he had, keeping only enough for his travel expenses. He asked her for eight pennies so he could pay the boatman to cross the river. The grandmother gladly gave him the pennies, and the honest merchant left.
A short while later, the greedy merchant returned to the old woman's house. He called out, “Give me the plate! I will trade something for it this time.” The grandmother came to the door and said, “It’s too late. We traded it already with another merchant. You said it was worthless, but he told us it was a golden plate and gave us many things for it.”
The greedy merchant was furious. He cried, “I lost a fortune because of that man!” He ran to the riverside, hoping to catch the honest merchant. But by the time he arrived, the honest merchant had already paid the boatman and was sailing across the river. The greedy merchant shouted, “Boatman, stop the boat!” But the boatman didn’t stop.
The honest merchant reached the city and sold the golden plate for a large amount of money. He lived a happy and comfortable life. The grandmother and her granddaughter also enjoyed a better life with the goods and money they received. As for the greedy merchant, he was left with nothing but his anger and regret.
Once upon a time, in the lively town of Seri, there were two merchants. Both sold shiny brass and tin wares, but that’s about where their similarities ended. One merchant was kind and honest, the kind of guy who would say, “A fair deal makes a happy heart!” The other merchant? He was greedy. His motto was more like, “Why buy the cow when you can swindle the farmer out of it?”
One day, they arrived in a small town to sell their goods. “Let’s divide the streets,” said the honest merchant, smiling as he arranged his wares. “Good idea,” replied the greedy one, already plotting how to get rich without breaking a sweat. They agreed that each would cover their side first, then they could visit the other’s streets later.
Now, in this town lived a poor old grandmother and her little granddaughter. They used to be rich but had fallen on hard times. The only thing of value they had left was an old golden plate. Well, the grandmother didn’t know it was gold; she just kept it for sentimental reasons. “Your grandfather ate from this plate every Sunday,” she told her granddaughter. “He said it made his pancakes taste like happiness.”
The granddaughter loved her grandmother, but honestly, she’d trade a plate full of memories for a plate full of pancakes any day.
The greedy merchant strolled down their street first, shouting, “Shiny brass! Shiny tin! So shiny you can see your reflection—and realize you forgot to brush your hair this morning!” The little girl ran to her grandmother. “Grandma, can we get something? Maybe one of those shiny teapots that look like they belong in a princess castle!”
The grandmother sighed. “We don’t have any money, sweetheart.” But the granddaughter had an idea. “What about that old plate? We never use it anyway.” The grandmother hesitated but agreed. They called the merchant over.
The greedy merchant took one look at the plate, scratched it with a needle (as merchants apparently do), and nearly fainted when he realized it was gold. But he quickly regained his composure and put on his “I’m-totally-honest” face. “This? This plate is, uh… worthless. It’s barely fit to hold leftovers from last year.” Then, as if starring in a dramatic play, he tossed it on the ground and stomped away. “I’ll come back later and get it for free,” he thought, chuckling to himself.
Later that day, the honest merchant arrived on the same street. “Shiny brass! Shiny tin! So shiny, they’ll make your neighbors jealous!” he called. The granddaughter tugged her grandmother’s sleeve. “Let’s ask him about the plate. He looks like he wouldn’t lie—plus, he’s got that twinkle in his eye, like Santa without the beard.”
The grandmother sighed. “The first merchant said it was worthless.” But the little girl put her hands on her hips. “Grandma, that guy wouldn’t recognize the truth even if it walked up to him, waved a big sign, and shouted, ‘I’m the truth!’ Let’s ask this merchant instead.”
When the honest merchant saw the plate, he gasped. “This is GOLD! Real gold! I don’t even have enough shiny things to trade for it!” The grandmother’s eyes widened. “The first merchant said it was worthless!” The honest merchant shook his head. “Worthless? That’s like saying a rainbow is boring or pancakes don’t need syrup. He lied to you.”
The honest merchant gave the grandmother all his wares and all his money—everything except eight pennies for a boat ride home. “I’ll need these to cross the river,” he explained. “Unless you’d like me to swim, and trust me, nobody wants to see that.” The grandmother chuckled and gave him the plate.
Not long after, the greedy merchant strutted back to the house. “I’ve decided I’ll take your worthless plate,” he said, smirking. “I’m feeling generous.” The grandmother opened the door with a grin. “Oh, we traded it already. Turns out it was gold! The other merchant gave us everything he had for it.”
The greedy merchant’s jaw dropped so far you could’ve parked a carriage in it. “GOLD?!” he screamed. He spun on his heel and sprinted to the riverbank, arms flailing. “STOP THAT BOAT!” he bellowed. The boatman, who was enjoying a quiet snack, shrugged. “Sorry, pal. Boats run on money, not shouting.”
The honest merchant sailed away, humming a cheerful tune. When he reached the city, he sold the golden plate for a huge fortune. He practically cartwheeled out of the shop, grinning so wide the sun might’ve been jealous. Meanwhile, the grandmother and her granddaughter used their new goods and money to live happily ever after. They even bought a teapot shaped like a princess castle.
As for the greedy merchant, he spent the rest of the day fuming by the river, mumbling about his “lost fortune” and occasionally yelling at ducks, who seemed unimpressed by his tantrum.
Two merchants walked through a bustling town,
Each with their wares to sell and renown.
One was honest, his heart full of grace,
The other was greedy, a scowl on his face.
"Buy brass! Buy tin!" they called down the street,
Meeting the townsfolk, whose gazes they'd meet.
A poor old woman lived near the square,
With her young granddaughter and cupboards bare.
Among their keepsakes, dusty and old,
Sat a plate that gleamed with a hidden gold.
"Let’s trade this plate," the granddaughter said,
But Grandmother frowned and shook her head.
“It’s all we have, and worthless, I fear.”
But the little one pleaded, her voice sincere.
The greedy merchant came by with a frown,
Eyeing the plate as he glanced up and down.
He scratched at its back, his eyes filled with greed,
But lied to the pair, "This plate has no need!"
He tossed it aside and marched away,
Planning to trick them another day.
Later, the honest merchant appeared,
His voice kind, his manner endeared.
The girl ran out with hopeful delight,
“Please trade with us, sir, if you think it’s right.”
The merchant examined the plate with care,
"This is gold! Its worth is rare!"
He gave them his goods, his money, his all,
Keeping just enough for his journey's call.
Grateful, the woman gave eight pennies to spare,
For the boatman's fee to take him elsewhere.
As he sailed away with the golden prize,
The greedy man came with fire in his eyes.
“Bring me the plate! I’ll trade for it now!”
But the grandmother laughed, a furrowed brow.
“You said it was worthless, so it’s no more,
Another kind merchant has settled our score.”
The greedy man ran to the river’s edge,
Shouting and stomping, a tantrum he pledged.
But the boat was gone, the merchant away,
And regret was the price the greedy would pay.
The honest man thrived, his fortune secure,
The family rejoiced, no longer poor.
As for the greedy, his heart full of spite,
He learned too late: kindness shines bright.
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