Atondido Stories
The Farmer and the Money-Lender
There was once a farmer who suffered much at the hands of a
money- lender. Good harvests, or bad, the farmer was always
poor, the money- lender rich. At the last, when he hadn't a far-
thing left, farmer went to the money-lender's house, and said,
"You can't squeeze water from a stone, and as you have nothing
to get by me now, you might tell me the secret of becoming rich."
"My friend," returned the money-lender, piously, "riches come
from Ram —ask him ."
"Thank you, I will!" replied the simple farmer; so he pre-
pared three girdle-cakes to last him on the journey, and set out
to find Ram.
First he met a Brahman, and to him he gave a cake, asking
him to point out the road to Ram; but the Brahman only took the
cake and went on his way without a word, Next the farmer met
a Jogi or devotee, and to him he gave a cake, without receiving
any help in return. At last, he came upon a poor man sitting un-
der a tree, and finding out he was hungry, the kindly farmer
gave him his last cake, and sitting down to rest beside him, en-
tered 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?"
"Perhaps I can," said the poor man, smiling, "for I am Ram!
What do you want of me?"
Then the farmer told the whole story, and Ram, taking pity
on him, gave him a conch shell, and showed him how to blow it
in a particular way, saying, "Remember! whatever you wish for,
you have only to blow the conch that way, and your wish will be
490