Meaning: It is easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.
Once upon a time there lived a prince. Being the only son he was born and brought up with lot of care and affection. If he ever asked or wished for something, his parents would not leave any stone unturned.
Following the same life style, the prince got accustomed to make all his dreams and demands come true and started to neglect the value and worth of things.
One day, a fair was being organized in the kingdom, in which people from different places too participated. Even the price came to know about the fair and expressed his wish to visit it. The king ordered his servants to accompany him.
The prince was very much pleased to see various stalls and was excited to participate in local games that other common people were playing. He too tried his hand at various games. While the prince was busy showing off his wealth, a goldsmith noticed him.
The goldsmith was a crook. He had previously tricked many people with their wealth. He immediately thought of a plan to rob the prince’s money as well.
He invited the prince to his stall. He showed various expensive stones and other things to the prince which he claimed to have got from all around the world. He showed the prince a stone and said that it can convert a piece of iron into gold. The prince was impressed and asked for the stone so that he too could increase the wealth of his father who often said that he only knows how to spend rather than earn.
First the goldsmith played too hard to get and made various excuses. He was trying to fool the prince. The prince then lost his temper and threatened to get him beheaded. Hearing this, the goldsmith took out a piece of green stone and said that it was a magical emerald that helped him to change iron into gold.
The prince asked for the stone but the goldsmith said he cannot give it to him for free as it was his only source of income and if given away for free, he would starve to death. The prince asked him to quote a price for it.
Goldsmith asked for 1,000 gold pieces in exchange of the stone and the prince immediately ordered his servant to pay. One of the servants was well aware about the authenticity of stone, who tried to warn the prince that it was not worth so much but the prince did not pay any attention to it. Considering, himself to be worldly wise person the prince got the stone and with great enthusiasm showed it to his father.
The king, who was a learned man, was too disappointed with the fact that the prince bought a stone at such a high price, which forced him to say that FOOLS AND HIS MONEY ARE EASILY PARTED. Had the prince listened to the wise advice of his servant he would not have been tricked and lost all his money.
© Ritanjali Hastir
