A Bandit’s Discovery

This happened in Shivpuri early in this century. Someone knocked gently at midnight on the doors of Harikant Rao’s house. Rao opened the door, and at once, a bandit brandishing a knife pushed his way inside.

“Tell me where you have kept your money, or I’ll kill you!” said the bandit in a menacing tone, glaring at Rao and his wife. They were uncertain what to do in such a perilous situation. Suddenly, their son, Kumar, emerged from the adjacent room, opened a box, and said, “Here is cash. Take it, please!”

The bandit found a bagful of money and picked it up. Then, looking at the boy with curiosity, he asked, “What made you show me the money?”

“I spoke the truth, that is all!” replied Kumar.

“Truth? Has truth any value?” he asked cynically.

“It has. In this case, it proved as valuable as the lives of my parents! You would have harmed them for mere money! If you choose to be truthful, you too can spare so many people from fear and anguish!”

The bandit stood amazed. He then handed the bag back to Kumar and left the house in silence, as if he meant to say, “I came for money, but I got something much more valuable.”