Once upon a time, in Benares under the rule of Brahmadatta, the Bodhisattva was born in a trading family. When he grew up, he became a trader too.
In those times, the border of Kasi had many carpenters. These carpenters worked hard every day. So, on one sunny day, when all the carpenters were hard at work, a mosquito decided to sit on a carpenter's head. Now, this carpenter had a bald shiny head. It was shining in the sunlight brilliantly attracting the mosquito.
The moment the mosquito sat on the bald head, it stung the carpenter. Now, that sting was quite painful. And the carpenter did not like it at all. The carpenter's son was sitting nearby. So, the carpenter says to his son, "Son, there is a mosquito on my head. It just stung me. Get rid of it."
"Yes, father," replied the son. "One blow should settle it." At that very moment, the Bodhisattva happened to pass by and witness the scene between the father, son and the mosquito. "Rid me of it," yelled the carpenter. "Yes, father," replied the son.
He waited for a while thinking about what to do. Then he picked up a mean looking sharp axe. "This should settle it," he thought. Then he took some time and made an aim. He did not want to miss. His father was busy working to see what the son was up to.
After settling on a spot he swung the sharp axe at his father's head, with the intention of killing just the mosquito. But as misfortune favors the foolish, the axe cut the carpenter's head in two, thereby killing the carpenter.
The Bodhisattva had a few lines to say after this incident. So, he spoke, "Sense in our enemies is better that than no sense in our friends. This poor man wanted to kill the mosquito but ended up slaying his own father." You may also like to read, The Wise Leader.
MORAL OF THE STORY: SENSIBLE FOES ARE BETTER THAN FOOLISH FRIENDS.