Who Gave the Most?

Five tales that weigh sacrifice, loyalty, and love, and ask, when each has given all they had, whose gift weighed the most.

Lessons in this chapter

• The Loyalty of Viravara — A whole family gives everything for the king. Of them all, who was the bravest?
• Jimutavahana's Sacrifice — A famed prince lays down his life for a stranger; then the stranger, already saved, runs back to reclaim his own death. Which one showed the greater courage?
• The Brahman Boy Who Gave His Life — A boy of seven, adorned for his own killing, laughs in the instant the sword is raised. Why would a child laugh at his own death?
• Madanasena's Rash Promise — In one night, three men hold a woman in their power, and each lets her go. The husband, the admirer, and the thief. Which of them was truly generous?
• The Minister Who Foresaw the Fall — At the very peak of his king's triumph, a loyal minister's heart breaks and he dies. Was it envy, thwarted ambition, or something no one else could see?

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