To Spare You the Trouble
A Moment of Trust and Gratitude: Pratap Vardhan and the Honest Washerman, celebrating integrity in the heart of the village.
Pratap Vardhan, the landlord, was pleasantly surprised when his washerman handed him a pouch containing twenty rupees. “Sir, I found this in the pocket of your shirt when I was about to dip it in the water,” the washerman explained. The man’s honesty greatly impressed the landlord, who rewarded him with ten rupees.
A month later, after giving his soiled clothes to the washerman, the landlord recalled that there was a sum of ten rupees in the pocket of one of his shirts. Just as he was about to call for the washerman, the latter appeared and cheerfully handed him five rupees.
“But wasn’t there ten rupees in my pocket?” the landlord inquired, puzzled.
“Of course, there was,” the washerman replied. “But I deducted my reward from it, to save you the trouble!” he added, saluting him with a grin.