Earning on the Way

The Touts’ Scheme

Shombhudas was a notorious tout. Whenever a quarrel broke out between two parties in his area, he would secretly instigate one against the other, earning money for his advice from both sides.

A Golden Opportunity

One day, while on his way to another village, Shombhudas learned of a feud between two brothers. He thought this would be an excellent opportunity to swindle them both.

The Encounter

As he walked along a lonely road, Shombhudas noticed a trader ahead of him, carrying a tinful of ghee on his head. He also saw a villager walking behind. Seizing the moment, Shombhudas called the villager over and whispered, “Do you see that trader with the ghee tin? If you muster a bit of courage, it could be yours.”

A Tempting Proposal

“How?” asked the surprised villager.

“Just take it from him by force! He will complain to the headman of the next village. I’ll testify that I saw him trying to snatch the tin off your head! The judgment will favor you. You’ll only have to give me two rupees for my help, and the entire tin will be yours, which you can sell for twenty!”

The Confrontation

The villager found the advice enticing. He lunged at the trader and yanked the tin away. “What are you doing?” demanded the trader.

“This is mine!” replied the villager as he stripped the trader of his property.

“I will complain to the headman of the next village!” threatened the trader.

“I don’t care,” said the villager defiantly.

The Headman’s Judgment

Upon entering the village, the trader told two passers-by about his grievance, compelling the villager to go to the headman. The trader explained what had truly happened, but the villager countered, “I was carrying the ghee to my daughter’s house when this man came and snatched it away!”

“Is it not you who snatched it from me?” demanded the trader.

“I wish someone had witnessed your fight over the tin,” remarked the headman. “Well, I can find a gentlemanly traveler who saw us quarreling,” claimed the villager. He quickly ran into the street and returned with Shombhudas.

The Deceptive Testimony

To the headman’s inquiry, Shombhudas replied, “Sir, this villager was walking ahead of me with the tin on his head. I saw this trader approach him and take the tin forcefully.”

“Thank you. Let the villager keep the tin,” ordered the headman. The delighted villager walked away with his prize, followed closely by Shombhudas. The trader soon understood that both had conspired to rob him, and he decided to follow them.

A Twisted Conclusion

Soon, he witnessed the villager handing two rupees to Shombhudas. The trader approached him and said, “You should have been a bit more clever. This ghee should fetch the villager at least thirty rupees. For all your efforts, you received only two!”

Shombhudas looked pale, but the trader patted him on the back and advised, “It’s not too late. You can do to the villager what he did to me. Go take back the tin. I’ll tell the headman that it was yours, but you owe me five rupees in advance.”

The Final Struggle

Shombhudas realized that trying the trader’s suggestion could be worth it. He gave the trader five rupees and shouted at the villager, “Stop! You’ve caused me enough trouble. Return my tin!”

The villager refused to stop. Shombhudas ran up to him, attempting to take back the tin. Enraged, the villager put the tin down and struck Shombhudas. They wrestled and rolled on the road, exchanging shouts and insults. Meanwhile, the trader seized the tin and boarded a horse carriage heading to the market. “I earned five rupees along the way; I can afford a rupee for the ride,” he chuckled to himself.