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Sunday parable by Sunanda Mahendra

I didn't see you for sometime, where were you these days?, asked the merchant, who greeted his friend, who was on his way to a distant place to sell his goods.

"I must tell you that I have been struggling hard all these days, and am on my way to a place where I think I can do some good business."

"So what made you visit me suddenly?"

"I have some metal too heavy to carry all the way. So I want to keep them with you to collect later, on my return from the business trip."

He placed a big bundle of metal with his friend. At this moment, the little son of the host merchant entered.

"Oh mama, (uncle) how very nice of you to visit us," said the little one remembering his previous visit.

This is a little present my son, said the guest handing over some sweets, which the little one received with much delight. "On my return I will bring you some more."

"Thank you mama."

The guest merchant departed after a short while leaving his big bundle of metal which he thought was too heavy to carry.

"Please keep this in a safe place."

"I will keep this in the store room."

"That's good".

"How long will it take for you to return?"

"Oh, it is quite difficult to say how business thrives there.

But I will see that I return as soon as possible, perhaps in a few months time. You never know what happens over there. We go from place to place not for the fun of it, but to earn, and earn more money, and that's the reality of business."

"I understand what you say. I feel the same sometimes. I feel that I am fed-up with all these things."

"You must never think that way. Try your best to do something positive, and earn money in the best possible manner, that's all. Then the guest merchant went off on his business trip once again, saying, "Look after that bundle of metal."

"Oh don't worry, it's in safe hands, you take care of yourself and see that you return with more wealth as soon as possible. I wish you good luck."

"Wish you the same, my friend."

Strangely enough, it took more time than expected for the guest merchant to return.

"It has taken such a long time for you to return. How was the business?" asked the host merchant.

"Oh, not too bad, and not too good either, and how are things with you, my friend?"

"I got to say the same, my business of buying and selling paddy and cereals was not at all a flourishing venture.?

"But why do you say so, those are saleable items that are necessary for day to day life." "Things are not moving well in this part of the country." "Why? What happened to you?"

"It is not only humans, who exploit the others". I have come to know that there are animals who exploit the humans.

"How is that possible? I have never heard of such a story. Please tell me some more about it."

"You will come to know the nature of that exploitation soon." The guest merchant was curious and at the same time wanted to relax and listen to what his friend tried to say.

"Now take for instance the bundle of metal you left behind in my care.? Started the host merchant.

"Ah yes, can I please have it back?" asked the guest merchant.

"Now please don't get excited, I have something to tell you about it."

"Please, by all means."

"I kept the bundle in my store room where I store my paddy.Believe me, there are some strange kind of mice who have eaten the metal. If you don't believe me, please come and see for yourself."

Then the two men went into the store room where the host merchant showed him the place where he kept the metal and where there were some mouse droppings.

"Look, it is just not the common kind of mice we know of.

This is a dangerous species of exploitative mice, I feel, some kind of mice that have come from another planet."The guest merchant visualized what had happened. He silently pondered as to what he should do now.

"I should not make a big fuss over this issue", he determined. "Well, the crux of the matter is that my good friend has cheated me."

At this moment, the little son entered the scene.

"Oh mama, how very nice to see you again. Did you have a nice trip?"

"The trip was alright, thanks, and how are you my son? Here is a parcel of sweets. I brought for you."

"Thank you so much mama."

"I want to have a bath as I am rather tired. Shall we go to the riverside?"

"I will join you mama". Then they went to the river side. "Putha, you've got to be careful and my friend, please look after my son."

"Don't worry, I will look after him like my own son. The guest merchant and the son of the host merchant went to the river. On his return, the guest merchant left the son of the host merchant in a friend's place and instead brought a tamed monkey from a gypsy. "Where is my son?", asked the host merchant. "Oh, it is unbelievable for a strange thing happened on my way. I think magical things happen in this part of the country. Believe me, I could not believe my eyes when the son of yours was transformed into a little monkey. So this is your son.

The host merchant was transfixed and cried aloud, you have cheated me and I am going to complain this matter to the judge."

Then, he ran away to the judge. The judge listened to the complaints and passed various judgements. "What is your problem?" asked the judge from the host merchant. "This man who posed as my good friend went off to have a bath in the river with my little son, and on his way he has brought a little monkey in place of my son."

"What have you to say? Did you do that?" asked the judge with a grin on his face.

"Please listen to me noble judge. It is he who cheated me as I left a bundle of metal in his care when I went off on a business trip and on my return he says that the metal was eaten by some mice in his store room. So I feel that strange things happen in this part of the country." Once again, there appeared a grin on the face of the judge. "What happened to the bundle of metal", asked the Judge. "It is true that they were eaten by a strange kind of mice," he said.

"Will you return the child if the metal is given to you right now"? asked the good old judge from the guest merchant.

"Yes, certainly noble judge," replied the merchant. Then the judge turned his face towards the host merchant. "In a country where metal is eaten by mice there is a possibility of a child being transformed into a monkey. So, return the metal and you will get your child back." The host merchant who hid the bundle of metal returned it to the place of judgement. Then the chance came for the guest to get the child from where he was kept hidden.

The two merchants looked at each other when the child said, this mama is so good that he bought me a whole bundle of sweets. Since then a saying came to be uttered among the villagers which goes as follows:

In a country where mice eat metal, a child being transformed into a monkey, is no wonder, (miyan loha kana rataka lamayek vandurek vena eka puduma na).

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