Gold Galore at Cheap

The Tragedy of Ramdas

In the city of Malyapur lived an honest man named Ramdas. Suddenly, his wife passed away, leaving behind two infant sons. Without anyone in his family to care for the boys, Ramdas decided to send them to their maternal uncle’s house, located several days’ walk from Malyapur. Before departing with his sons, Ramdas entrusted his wife’s precious ornaments and all his money to his wealthy neighbor, Saitansingh, saying, “Brother, this is all I have for the future of my sons. Please keep them safe.”

“Rest assured,” Saitansingh assured him, “They will be as safe as the sun in the sky.” However, Saitansingh turned out to be a perfect liar. Despite his vast wealth, he was driven by greed. When Ramdas returned to Malyapur a few months later to collect what was rightfully his, Saitansingh handed him a box full of counterfeit ornaments and coins instead of his real possessions. Ramdas soon realized how brutally deceived he had been, leaving him heartbroken. He returned to his sons, told them of Saitansingh’s treachery, and died shortly thereafter.

The Sons’ Prosperity and Plan

The two sons were well cared for at their uncle’s house and grew into bright young men. They ventured into the gold trade and prospered greatly. However, they never forgot Saitansingh’s deceit. Once they had accumulated enough wealth, they devised a plan for revenge.

The elder brother grew long hair and a beard, disguising himself as a mendicant, and took shelter in a deserted temple on the riverbank at the outskirts of Malyapur. Meanwhile, the younger brother dressed as a prince and moved into a hired house across from Saitansingh’s family.

The Ensnarement of Saitansingh

The ‘prince’ soon captured Saitansingh’s attention. Saitansingh mused, “I see this young man scattering money in the town like a farmer scattering seeds on his fields. Instead of a paisa, he gives a rupee to a beggar. Each evening, a famous musician sings before him, returning with a handsome reward. What a pity that such money, which should be secured in an iron chest, is being thrown away at beggars and singers!”

Saitansingh swiftly befriended the ‘prince’ and waited for an opportunity to profit from him. A few days passed, and one night, the ‘prince’ raised a cry, “Thief, thief!” The neighbors rushed to help. The ‘prince’ explained how thieves had entered his bedroom, nearly stealing his gold caskets until he had woken and raised the alarm.

Seizing the opportunity, Saitansingh proposed, “Prince, it is not safe for you to continue living in this house. My home is like a castle. Please come and stay as my guest. Your wealth will be safe there.” The ‘prince’ gratefully accepted the proposal. A dozen caskets, supposedly full of gold, were moved to Saitansingh’s house, where the ‘prince’ settled into a room amidst what appeared to be his fortune.

The Illusion of Wealth

Saitansingh’s delight was boundless as he gazed upon the ‘prince’s’ supposed wealth, which was now within his reach. His eagerness to possess this wealth grew, and he found himself in a constant state of anxiety, unable to sleep.

Shortly after moving in, the ‘prince’ fell ill, refusing food for days. One morning, he summoned Saitansingh to his bedside and proclaimed, “My days are numbered. I have been instructed in a dream to give all my wealth to a certain mendicant living in a deserted temple by the river. My noble host! Will you kindly go and bring him here?”

Saitansingh had heard much about the ‘mendicant’ known for standing on one leg during sunrise and sunset and generously distributing whatever offerings he received. Excited, Saitansingh rushed to the ‘mendicant’ and shared everything. The ‘mendicant’ replied, “I have no objection to fulfilling the last wish of a person. However, I do not know the value of gold. Besides, this deserted temple isn’t a suitable place for it.”

Saitansingh’s Greed and Downfall

“Do not worry,” said Saitansingh, “I know the value of gold. I will sell it on your behalf when the need arises. As for their safety, I will keep them with me, and I would be honored if you would also come and stay.” The ‘mendicant’ agreed to the proposal, moved to Saitansingh’s house, and accepted the wealth from the dying ‘prince,’ blessing him in return.

But lo and behold! The power of the blessing was immense. Far from dying, the ‘prince’ recovered rapidly and, along with the ‘mendicant,’ began to indulge in the finest food at Saitansingh’s expense.

Then the ‘prince’ prepared to depart for his homeland and invited the ‘mendicant’ to join him. The ‘mendicant’ readily agreed but first needed to sell the gold. Saitansingh, eager to please, proposed, “Rather than haggling with gold merchants, I will buy it from you quickly.” The ‘mendicant’ was pleased, and they struck a deal.

However, Saitansingh paid the ‘mendicant’ less than a quarter of the actual value of the gold. Even then, it cost him several lakhs of rupees for a significant quantity. A few days later, after the ‘prince’ and the ‘mendicant’ left, Saitansingh took a piece of his newly acquired gold to a goldsmith. To his shock, the goldsmith revealed it was not gold at all. Saitansingh quickly learned that what he purchased for lakhs of rupees was worthless.

The Consequences of Deceit

Desperate, Saitansingh ran to the king to report his misfortune, pleading for intervention. The king immediately dispatched officers to find the two young men. They willingly appeared in the king’s court for the trial. The prince declared, “I did not sell my wealth to anyone; I gifted it to the mendicant and was cured by his blessing. The wealth now belongs to him, and I have no further involvement.” The mendicant added, “I warned Saitansingh from the beginning that to me, gold and pebbles are the same. I had no knowledge of the value of gold. It was he who proposed to buy it from me and who fixed the price. Whatever money I received, I distributed among the poor as was my habit!”

The king found that no one could be held responsible for Saitansingh’s predicament. Consequently, he released the ‘prince’ and the ‘mendicant’ without consequence. Meanwhile, Saitansingh was heard wailing for days, confined to his house, and he was never seen again.