Money On The Road
In a certain village lived Ravindra and Durgadas, two business partners. Not only were they ideals as honest and prosperous merchants, but also as close friends. When any two brothers in the village would quarrel, the villagers would observe, "It is a pity that you don't learn any lesson in unity from Ravindra and Durgadas!" The people of the locality respected the two friends much. With the goodwill of all, they prospered more and more. But they spent a good deal in charity. On a certain auspicious day, every year, the two friends took stock of their business and divided their profit. Ravindra would set apart three hundred and sixty-five coins from his share and seal the amount in a bag. Durgadas observed his partner's practice, but he never asked why he kept the amount apart. Ravindra too was surprised that Durgadas never expressed any curiosity about it. On the particular day of the year, there used to take place a festival on the ground outside the village. In the evening Ravindra would quietly walk down to a well which was situated on an adjoining ground and place near it the bag with the coins. He never looked back to see who took the bag. Once, after leaving the bag behind, he suddenly decided to keep a watch on the area and see what happened to the bag. He hid behind a tree and waited. Minutes later a man, the greater part of his face covered with a towel, reached the spot and picked up the bag as quietly as Ravindra had placed it. It was obvious that the stranger expected the bag to be placed there. Ravindra was quite intrigued. Ravindra followed the fellow. After a while, the fellow removed the towel from his face. To his great surprise, Ravindra saw the fellow to be none other than his partner, Durgadas! "My friend, this is most unexpected! I leave the money on the road so that some needy person would come across it and the money would change the course of his life!" said Ravindra.