Page:Tales of the Punjab.pdf/225

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THE FARMER AND THE MONEY-LENDER

HERE 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 last, when he hadn’t a farthing left, the 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 prepared 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 under a tree, and finding out he

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