Page:Masani - Gandhi's story.pdf/27

Rh Once when they were hiding behind a bush and smoking, the cousin said to Mohan, “Is it not an insult to our manhood that we cannot do anything without the permission of our parents? We are like slaves. Such a life is unbearable. Let us put an end to it."

“I agree,” said Mohan solemnly, “but how shall we kill ourselves?"

For a while they sat and puzzled over the problem. Then the cousin said, “Listen, Mohan, there is a certain kind of berry which, if eaten in large quantities, can kill a person. Let us go to the forest and pick these."

So off they went to the forest and after collecting the berries they sat down to eat them. But they had only eaten one or two when their courage suddenly failed.

“Let us not do it,” cried Mohan.

"I agree,” said the cousin with much relief.

The two cousins ran back home feeling very ashamed of themselves and with firm resolves never to smoke or do anything against their parents' wishes.

Mohan had an elder brother who was quite different. He ate meat and spent a great deal of money on his pleasures. He soon got into debt. Mohan heard about this and he wondered how he could clear his brother's debt. His brother wore a gold armlet on his arm. Mohan decided to take a piece of gold from this armlet to pay back the debt. One day his brother left the