once upon a time, there were two millionaires one of whom was called Thonchey Sethey and another called Totaklo Sethey. They both made friends with each other. One day, Totaklo Sethey put a thousand Damloeungs of gold in a bag, tied it with a string, sealed it and left it with his friend Thonchey Sethey, Thonchey Sethey agreed to keep the gold for his friend, Totaklo Sethey, who then said goodbye to him and went away on business. Thonchey Sethey hired a repairman to cut the bag into two, take out the gold and replace it by copper with the same weight and then mend the bag again. After having mended the bag, the repairman got the money for
his work and handed the bag back to Thonchey Sethey. When he returned from doing busine Totaklo Sethey went to Thonchey Sethey's house, bringing along some food and fruits for the later and said: "I want to take my gold back from you, my friend!" Thonchey Sethey then took out the bag of gold mixed with copper and handed it to Totaklo Sethey, who examined the bag to make sure that it was really his bag and nothing was different, but when he untied the bag, what he saw was copper and not gold. Then, Tot Sethey said to Thonchey Sethey: "I have left my gold with you, my friend but where does my gold disappear and why is there copper instead? Thonchey Sethey said: "Who took your gold? If you do not believe me, look at the bag the string and the seal." They argued and argued and still they could not solve the problem, so they went to a court. The judge of the court could not solve their case, so he took them to seek an
audience with the King. Totaklo Sethey said to the ness, King: "Your Majesty, I put a thousand Damloeungs house, of gold in a bag, tied it with a string and sealed it and and I left the bag of gold with this man, my friend my Why does my gold turn into copper? Please kindly help solve this problem for me, Your Majesty." bag of otaklo Meanwhile, Thonchey Sethey said to the King:" This friend of mine put copper in a bag, tied it with hat it a string and sealed it and left it in my care. I did not but know it was copper and thought it was really gold, so l agreed to keep it for him. When he came back che to collect the bag from me, I returned the bag to end him, who untied the bag and did not see the gold except the copper and then he has accused me of look stealing the gold. Please kindly help me solve this problem. Your Majesty." The King then quickly understood the two millionaires' full accounts and said:" Please don't complain against each other and be reconciled with each other as before." Hearing
that, Thonchey sethey said goodbye to the King and went back home. Then, the King asked Tot Sethey if Thonchey sethey had a child. otaklo Sethey told the King that Thonchey Sethey had a child. The King then said: If he really has a kid, you must try to persuade his kid to come to stay with you for three days. Then, you give him back a monkey and tell him that his kid has now turned into a monkey. Accepting the King's advice, Totaklo Sethey went to lure Thonchey Sethey's kid to come and stay with him for three days. On the third day, Totaklo Sethey, hiding Thonchey Sethey's child at a safe place, gave a monkey to Thonchey Sethey and said: My dear friend! Your child has now turned into a monkey." Thonchey Sethey said: You took my child to stay with you and why did you bring me back a monkey instead?" Totaklo Sethey said: This is really your kid. Why do you say that I give you a monkey? Then a hot
argument erupted between the two millionaires over the matter. No matter how long and hard they kept arguing, the two millionaires still could not solve their matter, so they went to see the King. Thonchey Sethey said to the King: "Your Majesty, this Totaklo Sethey took my child to with him stay for three days, but he did not bring my kid back for me. Instead, he brought me a monkey and told me that it was my kid. Please kindly help solve this problem for me, Your Majesty." As for Totaklo Sethey, he said: Your Majesty, I really took away his kid, but I don't know why the kid has turned into a monkey, so please kindly help settle this problem for me." Having heard the two millionaires out, the King said: Both of you have to make a sincere wish and Thonchey Sethey has to put the copper back into the bag and keep it for three days while Tomaklo Sethey has to take good care of the monkey as his own child for three days as well. If you both
really love each other as you did before, the copper will surely turn into gold and the monkey will surely become a kid. Both of you have to come to see me again if your wishes come true." The two millionaires accepted the King's advice, took leave of him and went to their respective homes. On the third day's night, Thonchey Sethey put the gold back into the bag and took it to the King. Hearing of Thonchey Sethey bringing the gold to the King. Totaklo Sethey took the child to see the King as well. Then, the King ordered the gold to be returned to Totaklo Sethey and the kid to be given back to Thonchey Sethey and said:" Both of you should not feel offended with each other. You should love each other as much as you both did before." The two millionaires accepted the King's advice and went back homes. The King solved the problem very fairly and impartially.
