The Pickle Thief

The Scholar and His Poverty

Long ago, in a small hamlet, there lived a scholar named Misra. He devoted his time to teaching the village children the three R’s—reading, writing, and arithmetic. In gratitude, the villagers offered him various small gifts, yet he remained desperately poor and struggled to feed his many children.

The Wealthy Miser

The village clerk, Appa, was a wealthy man, but he was also a miser. Despite his affluence, he never engaged in charity. Nevertheless, he treated Misra with friendliness and occasionally offered him a few items.

The Jar of Pickles

One day, Appa’s elderly mother brought home two jars filled with delicious mango pickles. When Misra arrived to teach Appa’s children, the enticing aroma of the pickles overwhelmed him. Letting greed overtake his good manners, he discreetly took one of the jars.

The Accusation

Later, when Appa returned home and discovered the loss, he immediately suspected that Misra had stolen the jar. However, he hesitated to accuse the scholar outright. Appa’s mother, perceptive and furious, urged him to confront Misra. She exclaimed, “If you don’t take action, he will steal again! He’ll make others believe you willingly gave him the jar. Let’s search his home and reclaim our pickles!”

A Clever Plan

Reluctant to act on his mother’s anger, Appa replied, “No.” Undeterred, she proposed an alternative: “Fine, put me in a box and take it to Misra’s house. I’ll sneak out and retrieve the jar while you wait.” This suggestion seemed reasonable to Appa, so he placed his mother in a box and carried it to Misra’s home. He told the teacher, “Sir, I am going to Benaras this evening and wish to leave this box in your custody. It contains my valuables; please take care of it.”

The Tragic Outcome

Misra agreed, and Appa left. That night, as Misra’s children gathered for dinner, one of them requested pickles. Misra’s wife served from the stolen jar, while Appa’s mother, who was peering through a hole in the box, felt hungry. Thoughtfully, Appa had provided a bundle of food for her. However, in her eagerness, she hastily swallowed a piece of bone, which lodged in her throat and caused her to suffocate.

The Dismay of Appa

The next morning, Appa returned home, claiming that he had missed the train, and retrieved the box. To his horror, he found his mother dead and cold! In a panic, he rushed to Misra and recounted the events. The scholar agreed to help him dispose of the body, but only if Appa paid him one hundred rupees. Despite his miserly nature, Appa reluctantly agreed.

The Scheme for Compensation

Misra took the corpse of the old woman and went to the highway, where he spotted the local landlord driving in his phaeton. As the vehicle approached, Misra tossed the woman’s body across the road. The phaeton stopped abruptly, leading the landlord to believe he had accidentally run over the old woman. He compensated Misra with one hundred rupees and admonished him to be careful while walking on the road.

The Scholar’s Good Fortune

Now two hundred rupees richer, Misra returned home, congratulating himself on his newfound fortune.