Long long ago there lived two brothers in an island. They were quite intelligent. One was Rama and other Krishna. Wherever they go they were going together. Once they went to a big town on business. They worked hard and earned more money. While returning they took shelter under the shade of a tree in a forest. They ate well. Then they started counting money they earned. There came a young women weeping. Rama asked her the reason for crying.
“Few days back few robbers snatched our money and killed my husband. From then onwards I am wandering alone in the forest. I don’t know where to go and whom I should ask for shelter” the women said.
Rama and Krishna were unhappy. They decided that one of them should marry the widow and asked her opinion. She too agreed. But who should marry her? It was problem. The brothers loved each other. There was no envy between them. At last they wrote their names on two small papers. They asked the lady to lift one folded paper on which Rama’s name was written.
So Rama married her. After few years the woman gave birth to a male child. At his tenth year Rama died. Krishna wept. The woman demanded half of the property. But Rama had played no role in the business activities of Krishna. So Krishna refused to give the share. The woman become angry and gave a complaint to the king. The king gave his decision. Betaal now asked Vikram after narrating the story to guess what was the king’s decision.
“Betaal, this is an easy problem. Rama’s wife has full right to ask share in Krishna’s property. Because she married Rama after Krishna agreed: she was made available to Rama when both the brothers were partners. Therefore she belongs to both. Naturally she should get a share. The king also might have given the same verdict” Vikaram replied.
Betaal clinged to the old tree.