Atondido Stories
fulfilled. Only have a care of that money-lender, for even magic
is not proof against their wiles!"
The farmer went back to his village rejoicing. In fact the mon-
ey-lender noticed his high spirits at once, and said to himself,
"Some good fortune must have befallen the stupid fellow, to
make him hold his head so jauntily." Therefore he went over to
the simple farmer's house, and congratulated him on his good
fortune, in such cunning words, pretending to have heard all
about it, that before long the farmer found himself telling the
whole story—all except the secret of blowing the conch, for, with
all his simplicity, the farmer was not quite such a fool as to tell
that.
Nevertheless, the money-lender determined to have the
conch by hook or by crook, and as he was villain enough not to
stick at trifles, he waited for a favourable opportunity and stole
the conch.
But, after nearly bursting himself with blowing the conch in
every conceivable way, he was obliged to give up the secret as a
bad job. However, being determined to succeed he went back to
the farmer, and said, coolly, "Look here; I've got your conch, but
I can't use it; you haven't got it, so it's clear you can't use it ei-
ther. Business is at a stand-still unless we make a bargain. Now,
I promise to give you back your conch, and never to interfere
with your using it, on one condition, which is this,—whatever
you get from it, I am to get double."
"Never!" cried the farmer; "that would be the old business all
over again!"
"Not at all!" replied the wily money-lender; "you will have
your share! Now, don't be a dog in the manger, for if yo u get all
you want, what can it matter to you if I am rich or poor?"
491