THE TREASURE TRUNK

lvor Perera was a storekeeper in a mercantile firm. Though he drew a small salary, to the wonder of his relatives and boozing friends, he appeared to have plenty of money. How ever, everybody came to know the source of his hidden emoluments when his firm dismissed him for misappmpriation of goods in his charge. Perera was left alone in this world, his friends having left him like rats leaving a sinking ship. Even his children refused to accommodate a penniless boozing father Nevertheless, his youngest daughter asked him to stay with her, after consulting her husband, who was a considerate man.

It had been Perera's habit to go for a constitutional walk every evening, and spend some time in the park which was about half a mile from his home. One night Perera was getting late and his daughter was feeling anxious when a Police jeep stopped opposite her house. Two constables got down with Perera and they told her, “Your father had lost his way and we had to bring him down in our jeep." When they went away, his daughter who looked surprised asked Perera How is it you lost your Way? The park is so close by and you have been going there practically every day. 

“Oh! it's a trick. My leg got cramped and I had no money even to come by bus. So I dragged myself to the nearest telephone booth, phoned up the Police and told them that I had missed my way and also, due to old age, I can't see properly," replied Perera smiling all the while at the deception he practiced on the Police.

One day Perera brought a new steel trunk home and kept it under his bed. When his daughter asked him what it was.he replied at it contained a golden statue stolen from a temple and asked her not to tell anybody other than her brothers and sisters. He also made her understand that he could not sell it even in the near future because the police would come to know about it.

eventually perera found a remarkable change in the attitude of his children towards him. Every one of them cane to see him with presents saying why do you want to live in this house, daddy? This house is so small, you must be feeling terribly uncomfortable You come and stay With US We shall take good care of you as long as you live But he just over looked their entreaties. However his drinking habits did not allow him to live long He got a heart attack and died.

Some days after Perera's funeral, the children (legal heirs) got together and tried to open the treasure trunk by force as the key was in Perera's personal custody and they did not know where it was When at last they forced open the trunk What did they find? Lo and behold, a heavy piece of granite.