साहूकार का सच

Summary

A wealthy merchant suffered a great loss in business, losing all his money. Unable to get a loan from anyone, his family went hungry. Following his wife's advice, he went to his in-laws' house to ask for help but could not bring himself to ask. When he left, his mother-in-law gave him four laddoos tied in a cloth for the journey. On the road, he met a bajantri, a wandering storyteller. They stopped to eat by a pond. When the merchant broke a laddoo, he found a gold coin inside. All four laddoos contained a gold coin each. The merchant realized his mother-in-law had secretly helped him. The bajantri saw the coins but said nothing. As they traveled, the merchant asked the bajantri to tell stories to pass the time. The bajantri agreed, charging one gold coin for each piece of advice. The merchant paid for four lessons: first, to look carefully before sitting anywhere; second, to always follow the advice of the panch (village council); third, to never reveal a secret; and fourth, to never lie in a royal court. The bajantri then left. That evening, the merchant reached a village where four thugs invited him to stay. They showed him to a room with a bed. Remembering the first lesson, he checked the bed and found it had no base, covering a deep pit. He would have fallen to his death. He left despite their protests. The thugs gave him two gold coins and begged him not to reveal their secret, promising to stop thieving. The merchant agreed. In town, he was asked by the panch to perform the last rites of a dead, unclaimed bania for fifty rupees. Remembering the second lesson, he agreed. While lifting the body, he noticed the dead man's mattress was very heavy. He took it home and found it was stuffed with gold coins. He used this wealth to restart his business and became very prosperous. A jealous neighbor sent his wife to learn