Folk-lore of the Telugus/Castle-building
XXI.
CASTLE-BUILDING.
At Tirupati lived a Brahman in poor circumstances, who received on a certain day a pot of flour as a present from a certain merchant. He took it, and, being very tired, seated himself on the verandah of a house and soliloquized thus, "If I sell this pot of flour, I shall get half a rupee for it, with which I can purchase a kid. This, in a short time, will produce a flock. I will then sell them, and buy cows, buffaloes, etc., and thus in a few years I shall be the master of three thousand head of cattle. I will then purchase a mansion, which I will furnish elegantly, and marry a beautiful damsel who will crown my happiness by giving birth to a son. My wife will be particularly fond of me, but I shall not allow her too much freedom, and shall sometimes send her away with a kick when she comes to caress me." Thus thinking, he thrust out his leg like one really going to kick, struck the pot and broke it into pieces. The flour got mixed with dirt, and all his ideas of happiness vanished.