At a certain city there was a poor family, it is said. Of that family,
the father having died, the mother and also a son remained, it is
said. The mother, by [reason of] her destitute state without food,
was supported by pounding [rice into] flour for hire at the shops,
it is said.
While getting a living thus, having sent the son to school he began
to learn letters. While he was staying in that way for learning them,
one day [his mother] having sent him to school, at the time when he
was coming home he was looking on nearby while a great rich man was
getting a ship prepared on the sea shore. While he was thus looking,
at the time when this boy having gone near looked, the work at the
ship was becoming finished, it is said.
Owing to it, the boy, speaking to the rich man, says, "Will you sell
this ship?" He asked [thus], it is said.
[In reply] to it, the rich man having looked in the boy's direction,
said in fun, "Yes, I will sell it."