89. Dining Table

"We need to buy a new dining table. Let us go to the shop and choose a good table" Muthu told his wife Lakshmi.

"What is the need to buy a new dining table? The table we now have is good enough!" said Laksmi.

"It was bought five years back. It is time we dispose it of and buy a new table. Why should we hold on to an old table? We can afford to by a new table, after all!"

Both of them went to a furniture shop known to stock the most exquisite variety of furniture.

After looking at several models, Muthu chose a large dining table.

"This is good, isn't it?" he asked Lakshmi.

"It is good, alright" said Lakshmi.

"So, shall we we buy this?"

"I have selected one. Look at that also" said Lakshmi.

"What you have selected couldn't be better than this. This is the most expensive dining table available in this shop. If we go to some other shop also, we may not get a better model than this" said Muthu.

"Maybe. But why don't you look at what I have selected?"

Muthu looked at the model shown by Lakshmi and threw a look of surprise at her.

"You want us to buy this! This is very small. This looks like a cheap model that people on a budget will chose!" said Muthu.

"This is adequate for our need."

"What do you mean?"

"There are only the two of us in our home. Only we two are going to sit at the dining table and dine. No relative or friend of either of us is going to dine at our home even once. If someone visits us, they will sit for a while on the sofa and then leave. Why do we need a large dining table?"

Muthu was silent, having got the inner message contained in Lakshmi's words.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 9
Hospitality

Verse 89 (In Tamil)

udaimaiyuL inmai virundhOmbal OmbA
madamai madavArkaN uNdu.

Meaning:

Not being hospitable is to be poor, in spite of being wealthy. This stupidity is the attribute of fools.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'Dining Table' by the same author)

Verse 90
Verse 88