The Orphan And The Tyrant
This happened nearly a hundred years ago, but if you visit the village Kushigarh, you are still likely to hear this story: Kishan was a poor orphan. He lived in a hut with his grandmother. He labored in the fields of other villagers and his grandmother worked in a few households. Thus they earned their livelihood. Kishan, however, was ambitious. He often dreamt of a better living. He thought that if he went to the town, he can find some avenue to earn better. But he did not dare to step into an uncertain future. One season their cashew tree yielded a good deal of nuts. Kishan knew that cashew nuts were sold at a high price in the town. One morning he carried them in two baskets to the town with much hope. He was passing through the main road of the town, calling the people's attention to his ware. He was heard by the landlord who was quite fond of cashew nuts. The landlord's watchman summoned Kishan into the mansion. The landlord examined the nuts and found them to be of very good quality. "Leave all here," ordered the landlord and he handed out a small coin to Kishan. "You must pay me ten coins if you wish to buy all my cashew nuts," said Kishan.
The landlord got furious. "Don't you know," he shouted, "Who am I? How dare you bargain with me? I decide the price of the goods I buy!" The threat did not work with Kishan. He got ready to leave with his two baskets. "Take hold of this audacious lad and give him a thrashing," shouted the landlord. At once one of his servants tore off Kishan's shirt and began to lash him. The cashew nut baskets were carried into the landlord's store. "Leave me! Leave me!" cried Kishan, but in vain. Then he counted the lashes which were planted on his back. They came to fifty. While leaving he looked daggers at the landlord who laughed. Kishan met a fellow villager and through him sent word to his grandmother that he would return home after a month. He took up a job in a timber merchant's godown and with his sincerity earned the employer's trust. He continued in the merchant's service and visited his home once every month. He got the chance of knowing the different kinds of wood as he often accompanied the merchant's men into the forest. Ten years passed. The landlord was constructing a new house. A cartload of timber had just arrived before his house. Kishan, as if while passing by, had a look at the timber and said, "Sir, don't use these pieces if you wish your house to last!" Soon he won the landlord's confidence by talking fluently on the different kinds of wood. "I own a forest. Will you please accompany me and point out the trees which would yield the best timber?" he asked. "Gladly," said Kishan.
They were in the forest. Kishan pointed out the suitable trees and landlord's men kept busy felling them. Kishan led the landlord into the interior of the forest. Then pointing at a stout tree, he said, "Sir, measure the bulk of this tree by putting your arms around it." As soon as the happy landlord put his arms around the tree and brought his palms together on the other side, Kishan slipped a loop and tied his wrists. Then he promptly bound the landlord more tightly to the tree with a strong rope "Landlord, do you remember depriving a poor village lad of something he had brought for selling in the town, and torturing him for no fault of his?" I am that fellow, Kishan by name. You had whipped me fifty times. I had taken an oath to the effect that I will not rest until I had whipped you hundred and fifty times. But you have grown old. I should not whip you. Instead, I will make you pay me as high a price as possible for my lost cashew nuts," said Kishan as he took the landlord's purse out of his pocket. Kishan took to another path and left the forest. The landlord stood there groaning. It was late in the night that he was found out by his men. He had caught a high fever. He was carried home. "Kishan! Kishan!!" the landlord shouted in his sleep and woke up, this happened again and again! Nobody knew who this Kishan was. His fever did not subside. The local physicians failed to cure him. Someone reported a traveling physician camping in an inn. He was called. The physician examined the landlord and asked for a variety of things. All the attendants went out to fetch them.
Suddenly the physician came closer to the landlord and said, "I am Kishan in disguise!" He then opened the landlord's safe and took out whatever money was there and said, "This is not enough. I must meet you once more to realize the full value of my cashew nuts!" By the time the attendants returned Kishan was not to be seen. A year passed. The landlord regularly visited a weekly market that was held on the outskirts of the town. One day Kishan saw a man leading his horse to the market for selling it. "I shall buy your horse if you prove that it can run fast. A little later a man will come this way, seated in a horse carriage. Just go near him and whisper to him that you are Kishan. He will ask his coachman to capture you. His man will chase you. Let us see if your horse can run faster than the fellow's old horse," said Kishan. The man agreed. Everything happened as anticipated by Kishan. As soon as the landlord's coachman detached the horse from the carriage and rode away pursuing the horse trader, Kishan went closer to the carriage and announced to the landlord, "I am real Kishan. He then took away the landlord's purse and said now I am satisfied. I need not meet you again." In the course of time, Kishan became a wealthy and well-known man at Kushigarh. People still speak of his charity and compassion
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