A Fruity Deal

A Fruity Deal

In the village, there were two peasants who, through the years, had become good friends, although they seemed to be an ill-sorted couple. Tulsidas, for example, was easygoing and rather simple-minded, but his friend Manilal was shrewd, and no one was ever known to get the better of him when it came to a business deal.

One day, Tulsidas, who had gathered a good crop of potatoes, went to Nayak, a neighbor, to borrow his mule in order to cart the potatoes to the market in a nearby town. However, when he asked Nayak for a loan of the mule, Nayak threw up his hands in despair. “I am sorry, my friend,” he said, “that stubborn old mule got out of the field during the night, and we can’t find the brute anywhere. I suggest you ask Trilok to lend you his horse.”

So, Tulsidas went to Trilok’s house with some doubts in his mind, as Trilok was so mean that even the village moneylender avoided him like the plague. The first question Trilok asked was, “How much are you willing to pay?”

“I haven’t any money,” replied Tulsidas in a despairing voice.

“I am not lending my horse for nothing,” Trilok retorted. “You grow melons, so give me fifteen, and you can borrow the horse.”

Poor Tulsidas looked crestfallen. “I have only five in the garden at present. I will give you those and the other ten later this month.”

“You will get the horse when I have the fifteen melons, and not before,” snarled Trilok.

Tulsidas, thinking of his potatoes, had to agree. He rushed home for his five melons, which he gave to Trilok, and then went off hoping to find someone who would let him have the other ten melons.

As he wandered down the village street, a shout stopped him. Turning around, he saw his friend Manilal and the neighbor Nayak waving to him. “It’s all right,” Manilal shouted. “The mule has been found. So now you can take your potatoes to the market.”

“Oh, dear,” Tulsidas said, “I have already given Trilok five melons for the loan of his horse, and he certainly won’t give them back.”

“That’s what you think,” Manilal said with a grin. “Come along with me and I will get your five melons.”

The two peasants went off to see Trilok, with neighbor Nayak tagging along, anxious to see someone get the better of mean old Trilok.

When Trilok saw the three men, he eyed them suspiciously. “Where are my other ten melons?” he shouted.

Manilal just grinned. “First of all, my friend,” he said, “we want to be sure your horse can carry the load.” Then, without waiting for Trilok to reply, he strode across to where the horse was tethered and started to measure the animal’s back with his outstretched palms.

The other three looked on in amazement at Manilal’s antics. After a while, Manilal stepped back and, scratching his head, said, “Maybe the horse will do. Tulsidas and his wife can sit up in front, and my wife and myself can sit behind.” Then somewhat dubiously, he added, “But there doesn’t seem to be enough room for the children and Tulsidas’s grandparents.”

“Stop your nonsense,” Trilok shouted. “How can my horse carry several families on its back?”

“That’s your horse’s worry,” Manilal retorted. “What worries me is where do we tie the hen coops and the baskets of vegetables?”

Trilok looked at Manilal in amazement, then he screamed, “You will kill my horse. Go and borrow someone else’s horse.” Turning to Tulsidas, he cried, “Take your five melons and be gone.”

“Not so fast, my friend,” Manilal said. “You said yourself that fifteen melons is a fair price to pay for the loan of a horse. So you will have to give us fifteen melons so that we can borrow another horse.”

Trilok was only too anxious to get rid of these people. He rushed into his house and came back with fifteen melons, which he gave to Manilal with a sigh of relief.