Page 55 - English Class 04
P. 55

Once, there was a farmer who suffered
             much at the hands of a cunning money-

             lender. Good harvest or bad harvest,
             the farmer was always poor and

             the moneylender, rich. At last,
             when he hadn’t a farthing

             left, the farmer went to the
             moneylender’s house and

             said, “You can’t squeeze
             water from a stone, and as

             you have nothing to get

             from me now, you might tell
             me the secret of becoming

             rich.”

                  “My friend,” replied the

             moneylender piously        ,
             “Riches come from Ram.

             Ask Him.”
                                                       Do you lend some money to your friends to help them?

                  “Thank you, I will!” replied the simple farmer;
                                                                                   farthing : the least possible
             so he prepared three girdle-cakes to last him on                      amount of anything
             the journey and set out to find Ram.                                  piously : devotedly, religiously


                  First, he met a Brahmin and he gave a cake to him, asking him to point out
             the  road  to  Ram;  but  the  Brahmin  only  took  the  cake  and  went  on  his  way

             without a word. Next, the farmer met a Jogi or devotee and he gave a cake to
             him,  without  receiving  any  help  in  return.  At  last,  he  came  upon  a  poor  man

             sitting under a tree and finding out he was hungry, the kind farmer gave him his

             last cake and sitting down to rest beside him, entered into conversation.

                  “And where are you going?” asked the poor man, at length.

                  “Oh, I have a long journey before me, for I am going to find Ram!” replied the

             farmer. “I don’t suppose you could tell me which way to go?”




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