Bengal Fairy Tales. Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt

      KHOODEH THE YOUNGEST BORN

      ​ ​failure. The means they had adopted for his destruction had made him rich in the possession of eight milch cows. What more could they do? They racked their brains to find a solution of the question, and ultimately resolved to burn him alive by setting fire to his house the next night. The object of their evil intentions, however, by some means or other, guessed what was brewing, and spent the night chosen by the incendiaries for the crime, away from home. His house, however, was reduced to heaps of charcoal and ashes during his absence. But he was not the man to submit to misfortune without attempting to turn it to the best advantage. Returning home, he collected the charcoal, and, putting it into two large gunny-bags, which he placed on the back of one of his cows, one bag on each side, he started for the market for the ostensible purpose of selling their contents.

      He knew well that the sale would fetch very little, so he did not really go to the market at all, but roamed about on the look out for further adventure. The day, however, passed unprofitably, and in the evening he retired to a Chati.

      There he found a man with a cow loaded in the same way as his. In course of conversation, he asked his companion what his bags contained, and was told that they were filled with rupees. Being asked what the contents of his bags were, Khoodeh said that they were gold mohurs. Now this was a most successful cast of his dice, for when he was asleep the other man, who could hardly close his eyes during the night on account of the itching in his fingers to make the gold mohurs his own, got up long before the dawn, and drove away Khoodeh's cow with the bags of charcoal on it, leaving his own behind.

      Khoodeh was prepared for the success of his ruse, so getting up at dawn, he drove the cow with the money home, reaching it before his brothers were awake. Their wives, however, had left their rooms, and were engaged in their morning duties. Unburdening the cow, and pouring down the money on the floor of his sleeping room as noiselessly as ​possible, he got from one of his sisters-in-law a corn measure to see how many rupees he had. But he kept the purpose secret in order to have a greater surprise ready for his relations. Measure after measure he deposited the coins in his chest, leaving at length a single rupee sticking to the bottom of the measure so that at sight of it his brothers and their wives might be thrown into a sea of curiosity, on knowing that he had had so much money that a measure was required to ascertain its amount. What he had anticipated came to pass, and his brothers, with jealousy and confusion on their faces, came to him and asked him how he had become the master of so much money that it could not be conveniently counted, but estimated only by the measure used for the purpose of measuring corn. He enjoyed their chagrin and confusion, replying, "You see, brothers, I am the favourite of the gods, and my good fortune turns misfortune into blessings. My house caught fire, and with the two bags of charcoal I have earned as many bags of rupees."

      "Dear Khoodeh," the brothers hastened to answer, "do tell us how this happened. If feasible, we shall follow your plan and make ourselves rich for life."

      "I have obtained the money in the easiest way," he replied. "A dozen miles off, there is a town where charcoal is so valued that the people there pay for a bag of it an equally capacious bag of rupees. I went there and they eagerly closed the bargain with me. I advise you to burn your houses and go to the town to-morrow morning, and while passing along its streets you must, as I did, bawl out, 'A bag of charcoal goes for an equally large bag of rupees.'"

      Here Khoodeh gave an imaginary description of the fictitious town. And his brothers, as silly as they were covetous, set fire to their houses that very night. Next morning, six heaps of charcoal were put into twelve bags, and the six brothers with as many cows, borrowed from their neighbours, and loaded up with two bags each, proceeded in the direction pointed out by Khoodeh. At length they ​entered a town, and believing it to be the same as that which their brother had spoken of, they commenced crying at the top of their voices: "Here are twelve bags of the best charcoal, to be sold for as many bags of equal size filled with rupees." This was enough to overwhelm them with the ridicule of the people whose houses they passed, and the latter, forming a crowd around them, began to shower abuse upon them and cast handfuls of dust at them. When they vociferously demanded to know what all this meant, they were well thrashed with shoes, and thrust out of the town.

      Thus ended their enterprise, and crestfallen they returned home. But what was home to them who were now houseless? On meeting their wives, they beat their heads and breasts with their hands, and told them their doleful story. Loud lamentations were uttered by the six families, bereft of shelter over their heads and of all their other possessions that they had by their own hands turned into ashes. To make the best of so unfortunate a position, they built temporary sheds thatched with palmyra leaves, and engaged themselves as day labourers to the solvent farmers of their village. Their attitude towards Khoodeh was changed. Though deep hatred rankled in their hearts, they could not any longer dream of molesting him, for they knew that he was far above them in wealth and wisdom. It was to their interest, under the circumstances, to gain his favour, and, sycophants that they were, they constantly approached him to curry favour. He was liberal minded, and not only did he forget the ill usage he had received from them, but opened his purse-strings for their relief. In short, after heaping coals of fire on their heads, he brought them, if not to love him—for love was foreign to their nature—at least to look up to him with respect and awe.

      Khoodeh, rich beyond his expectations, married a good wife, and entered into speculations which soon made him the wealthiest man in his country. Secure in his high position, he invited his brothers to come and live with him. They ​eagerly availed themselves of the offer, and lived dependent on him whom they had once planned to destroy. He, however, did not in any way give them occasion to feel their unfortunate position. He was full of kindness to them, and took them as partners in his speculations without their paying a single pice in the shape of capital; for he well knew how poor they were. In time, however, they too