By Nopparat  Arkkachot

          Once there was a rich family in the forest. There were four persons in this family: Ta Mee, the father; Yai Ma, the mother; the two sons, Aob and Erb.  Aob, the elder son,was a lazy man.  He liked gambling, but Erb, the younger one, was a hardworking and honest man.

          One day, Ta Mee talked to Yai Ma about their property,

 “ I would like to divide our property for Aob and Erb because we are very old,” said Ta Mee.

          “That’s a good idea.  Aob and Erb should get this property to make their living,” said Yai Ma.

          Aob heard this conversation.  He felt very glad.  Not long after, Ta Mee was sick, and a short time later he died.  Yai Ma was sad and became ill.

          One morning, Yai Ma called her two sons to see her.

          “ Aob and Erb, I love you very much, but I’m dying.  I’ll give the most important property for both of you,” said Yai Ma.

          “ Really? Are they diamonds and money, Mother?” Aob said.

          “I don’t want this property, but I want you to live with me, Mother,” said Erb.

          “ This is important property which has made your father and me very rich,” said Yai Ma.

          Then Yai Ma gave each son a bag.  Later, Yai Ma died.  Erb was very sad, but Aob was very happy because he had got a valuable bag.

          After Aob and Erb buried their mother’s body, they opened their valuable bags.  They were very surprised because what they saw in the bags were tamarind seeds.

          Aob was very upset.

          “Why did Mother give tamarind seeds to me? I don’t want them,” said Aob.

          One year later, Aob and Erb each got married.

          Erb and his wife took the tamarind seeds to make their living by growing them and sold their products in the market.

Erb’s family became rich from growing tamarind seeds.

          Aob used the tamarind seeds as a tool of gambling by separating them into two parts.  It was called “ Bok”. Moreover, his wife threw some of the tamarind seeds away.  Aob and his family became poor, and finally he was left alone like a beggar.  

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