Paṇṇikajātaka

The Greengrocer

“He that should prove.”—This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about a lay-brother who was a greengrocer in Savatthi and made a living by the sale of various roots and vegetables, and pumpkins and the like. Now he had a pretty daughter who was as good and virtuous as she was pretty, but was always laughing. And when she was asked in marriage by a family of his own station in life, he thought “She ought to be married, but she’s always laughing; and a bad girl married into a strange family is her parents’ shame. I must find out for certain whether she is a good girl or not.”