Clever Chakija
- “What else? Can anyone truly drink all the water of such a huge pond?” “Why not? If thirst strikes, one must drink.”
- Jivram Joshi
“Why should we worry about when a pond dries up? It will take at least a year or two, won’t it?”
There was once a shepherd boy. He would take his flock of sheep to graze in the forest.
One day, he reached the edge of a large pond. All his sheep bent down and started drinking the cool water.
The boy’s name was Chakija.
As the sheep drank, Chakija stood nearby with his stick resting on his shoulder. He laughed and said:
“Drink quickly, all of you! Don’t delay, or else you’ll stay thirsty. I myself am very thirsty. If I begin to drink, then you’ll all remain thirsty!”
Just then, there was a shady tree nearby. From under that tree came the sound of loud laughter.
Chakija turned around.
Under the tree, two men were sitting and laughing. They were none other than the King of Brahmdesh and his minister, who had gone out for a walk. Seeing the fine shade of the tree near the pond, they had sat down to rest. Chakija had not noticed them earlier.
When the king and the minister burst out laughing, Chakija spotted them. The king raised his hand and called the boy over.
Chakija went to the king.
The king asked:
“What were you saying to your sheep?”
Chakija replied:
“Drink water.”
The king smiled:
“Didn’t you also say, ‘Drink quickly! If I start drinking, then you’ll all stay thirsty?’ Is that right?”
Chakija nodded:
“Absolutely true.”
The king asked:
“So, do you mean that you can drink all the water of this big pond?”
Chakija, still smiling, replied:
“If one feels thirsty, one must drink, Maharaj.”
The king pressed again:
“But can you really drink up all the water in this big pond?”
Chakija laughed:
“Haha! If my thirst is as big as this pond, then only by drinking the whole pond can my thirst be quenched!”
The king laughed loudly and said:
“Bravo, boy! You’ve made a boast even bigger than the pond itself. You seem like a great boaster!”
Chakija replied boldly:
“Boaster? You think I am telling tall tales?”
The king said:
“What else? Can anyone truly drink all the water of such a huge pond?”
Chakija answered:
“Why not? If thirst strikes, one must drink.”
The king asked again:
“So, will you drink the entire pond dry?”
Chakija said:
“Yes, yes.”
The minister now joined in:
“Alright then. Start drinking! If you can drink up all the water of this pond, we will give you a big reward.”
Chakija said calmly:
“Fine. I will sit here and drink. But you both must sit opposite me and watch.”
The minister agreed:
“Yes, we will sit opposite you. Let us see how your boasting turns true!”
At once, Chakija went to the pond’s edge to drink. A large stone lay half inside the water. Chakija sat on it. He scooped up a potful of water from the pond and drank it down.
Looking at the king, Chakija said:
“Why are you both standing? I won’t get tired drinking, but standing so long, you both will surely get tired. Sit down comfortably. Drinking all this water will take time.”
The king chuckled:
“How long will it take?”
Chakija answered:
“I am uneducated, Maharaj. You are learned—calculate yourself. If drinking one pot of water takes one second, then how many days will it take to drink up this whole pond?”
The king smiled and looked at his minister.
But the minister grew irritated at Chakija’s words.
Chakija continued:
“Think about it, sir. Such a large pond cannot be emptied by just a few potfuls of water.”
The minister snapped:
“Doesn’t matter how long it takes. We want to see how you drink up the whole pond!”
Chakija nodded:
“Very well. You will eventually get tired and sit down. Look, I’ve drunk another potful. Ah, and now let me enjoy a fine burp!”
The minister grew more annoyed:
“Why did you stop?”
Chakija replied:
“Why?”
The minister barked:
“Keep drinking! You must finish the entire pond.”
Chakija laughed:
“Sir, when in pain, one cries. When hungry, one eats. And when thirsty, one drinks. I have drunk two potfuls now. When I feel thirst again, I’ll drink more. But yes, I’ll keep drinking until the pond is empty!”
The minister shouted:
“But drinking one pot at a time—when will this whole pond ever empty?”
Chakija calmly said:
“It will empty whenever it will. Why should we worry about that? In one or two years, it will be empty anyway!”
The minister asked in disbelief:
“So you mean to sit here drinking for two whole years?”
Chakija said:
“As long as you stand there watching me, I will sit here drinking.”
The king clapped his hands in delight.
“Wonderful! Wonderful!”
The minister looked helplessly at the king.
The king declared:
“Minister, it is clear—this boy will surely drink the whole pond.”
The minister asked:
“But when?”
The king laughed:
“To see that, you will have to keep standing here. I am going back to the palace.”
The minister’s mouth fell open.
The king added:
“Minister, we have lost. This boy has won.”
The minister protested:
“But how?”
The king explained:
“In this way: he has already sat down to drink. He says he will not rise until the pond is empty. But will you truly stand here until then? Even if years pass, the pond will never be completely drunk. But till then, will you keep standing here? Clearly, we are defeated.”
The minister finally understood.
The king called Chakija close and said warmly:
“Clever boy, you are truly wise. Come with us. I am the King of Brahmdesh. Stay with me, sit in my royal court.”
Chakija was overjoyed.
The king took him along. And soon, with his wit and cleverness, Chakija became famous all over Brahmdesh as ‘Clever Chakija.’
