In  times  gone  by  there  lived  a  very  great  and  wealthy
merchant.  Some  affirm  that  he  was  a  Kashmiri,  and
resided  in  Srinagar ;  others  say,  "  No,  he  came  from  far ; "
while  others  again  refuse  to  believe  that  there  is  anything
Kashmiri  about  the  story.  But,  however  this  may  be,  we
will  hear  the  tale  and  judge  for  ourselves.
Well,  this  great  and  wealthy  merchant  had  a  most
clever  and  learned  son;  but,  alas !  the  son  was  a  confirmed
gambler.  The  merchant  knew  not  what  to  do  with  him.
Every  scrap  of  money  or  valuable  that  came  within  his
reach  the  son  gambled  away.  He  was  shown  the  folly  of
the  thing ;  he  was  warned  that  the  family  and  business
would  be  ruined  if  he  continued  in  it ;  friends  also  spoke
to  him  earnestly  and  affectionately ;  but  all  to  no  purpose,
for  the  gambling  propensities  developed  more  and  more
every  day.^

Perceiving  this,  the  merchant  was  exceedingly  sorrowful.
