The Old Man and His Sons

An old man was living in poverty: his clothes in tatters, no food to eat.

The man's sons did nothing to help him.

Then a friendly merchant brought him three large, heavy sacks. "Show these to your sons," the merchant said, "but don't open them."

"An investment has brought unexpected returns," the man told his sons. "I wonder who'll inherit all this wealth."

So the sons vied for his favor, bringing him fine food, expensive clothing, every possible luxury.

The old man enjoyed his final years.

Then, when he died, his sons tore the sacks open.

They found only stones.

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Inspired by: "The Bag of Fortune" in A Twist in the Tale by Aditi De, 2005.
Notes: You can read about the state of Kashmir in northern India at Wikipedia. Aditi De's version is more elaborate: the story starts with the father revealing the terms of his will to his sons, which is when they start to neglect him.

Kashmiri man