On one hot summer afternoon, Dema ben Natina was working in his jewelry store. As he set precious stones in fine silver, he whistled happily, but very softly, because he did not want to wake his father who was fast asleep on a large chest in the back of his jewelry store.

Just before noon three customers entered his shop. "Welcome", said Dema ben Natina "would you care to see one of those silver rings? or perhaps one of those lovely diamonds?"

"Thankyou" said the eldest among them, "But we are here on a more important business. We have heard you own the largest Ruby in the land. We wish to purchase it for the High Priest. We will give you three hundred gold coins for the ruby."

Dema glanced at the chest in the back of the store where his father was sleeping soundly. He returned his gaze to the customers who were standing on the other side of the counter.

"I am sorry", he said, "but I cannot do that".

"All right then!" said that customer. "We will give you four hundred gold coins for the ruby."

But Dema looked thoughtfully at the customer and nodded his head back and forth as he said, "I am very sorry I cannot".

At this the customers became very upset. "I see you are a man who likes to bargain", said the eldest customer, "We will pay you 500 gold coins. But we cannot offer you any more than that."

"I cannot sell the ruby", said the jeweler.

Then the customers began to whisper angrily among themselves. "This jeweler is a thief", they said. "He wants too much money." "We will offer him six hundred gold coins and let it go at that if he does not sell the ruby to us."

But when Dema refused to sell the ruby for 600, the customers grew furious and began to shout.

"You are trying to rob us!", they cried. "How can we pay more than six hundred?"

With all of the commotion Dema's father woke up from his nap. He got up from the chest and walked toward the front of the store. "What is the trouble?", he mumbled.

Dema smiled broadly. He walked to the back of the store and opened the chest. He gently took the ruby out of the chest his father had been sleeping on and gave the ruby to the customers.

"Now you may have the ruby", he said. "For I donot have to wake my father to get the jewel out of the chest." "I will accept your first bid of three hundred gold pieces. Your first offer was a fair price".

Similing happily, the customers paid the jeweler and went back to their study house. There they told the story of Dema who respected his father so much that he would not wake him for six hundred pieces of gold.