The Glittering Glass

Ramprasad, the goldsmith, noticed that his neighbor, Ravindra, was visiting the moneylender’s house repeatedly. Concerned, he asked Ravindra, “What’s the matter?”

“Brother, the moneylender promised to give me a loan. Accordingly, I arranged for my daughter’s marriage to take place next week. Now he keeps refusing me the loan under various pretenses,” Ravindra replied.

Ramprasad knew the moneylender well enough to understand that he was deliberately keeping Ravindra in suspense. At the last moment, he would charge a high interest rate, leaving Ravindra with no choice but to accept it.

To help his friend, Ramprasad handed Ravindra four colored glass pieces and explained what he should do with them. Ravindra then approached the moneylender privately, saying, “I found these stones in a buried pot. Perhaps they are valuable. Will you keep them with you until my daughter’s marriage is over?”

The moneylender accepted the glass pieces and, that night, went to the goldsmith to inquire about their value. “They could be diamonds, but I’m not sure. I don’t have the means to examine them just now. Bring them to me in a fortnight,” said Ramprasad.

Feeling pleased, the moneylender granted Ravindra the necessary loan the very next day at a nominal interest rate.

After the marriage, Ravindra returned to reclaim his property. However, the moneylender handed him a different set of glass pieces, delighted that he had successfully cheated Ravindra out of his supposed diamonds!

Two weeks later, the moneylender took the glass pieces back to Ramprasad for evaluation. “Oh, these are only glass pieces—not worth a paisa!” said Ramprasad, revealing the truth behind the deception.