The Magician Grocer
Mahendrapur was a prosperous village. Near the village was situated a small Bazar. There the biggest grocery shop was owned by Jeewan. Often the customers found the stuff they bought from Jeewan's shop quite inferior. They also found that such stuff weighed less when measured by the buyers at their own homes. But if anybody complained about it, Jeewan made such a sweet and fluent speech that the complainant felt sure it would be hard to find another trader as honest as Jeewan. From time to time many people told the village chief that they had been deceived by Jeewan. He wanted to see for himself what Jeewan really did. One evening he went to Jeewan's shop. Jeewan welcomed him. "What can this humble shopkeeper do for you, sir?" he asked with hands folded. "I want some ghee," said the chief, "I hope, you can give me." "Why have I opened a shop if I can't?" asked Jeewan. He entered an ante-room and came out with three of his fingers outstretched. "Sir, Please smell my fingers dipped in three different tins, one after another, and point out to me the smell you relish most," he said. The chief smelled the fingers but could not differentiate among the smells. "I don't understand the difference," he confessed. "Never mind, sir, I understand for you! You'd like to have the ghee of the finest quality, won't you? Though that would be slightly costlier," said Jeewan sporting a genial smile.
"That's right. But do you mean to say that you have ghee of three qualities?" asked the chief. "I must be frank with you. The finest quality of ghee is meant for men of quality like you. The second quality too is very good. In fact, what other shop-keepers brand as the finest quality is not as good as my second quality. The third quality is not bad either, though a bit inferior. You know, sir, that the common people would like to have things cheap! But I do not desire to hide anything from you!" said Jeewan. The chief was so charmed by Jeewan's frank talk that he felt guilty for having suspected him! He bought the ghee of the first quality and went away. "Sir, never have I deceived anybody or adulterated the stuff I sell," was the grocer's final statement. There was some commotion at midnight. A villager spied upon a gang of burglars and raised a cry. Some people were rehearsing a play in the clubhouse. They chased the burglars. The gang fled, leaving behind them their booty: a tin of ghee, a bag of rice, a bag of pulse, and some weighing stones.