The Merchant and The Money Lender

In a small town, there lived a merchant. He ran a small business. Unfortunately, he lost all his money in business. “I can’t stay like this. I have to do something. I will go to the next town and invest in another business,” he thought to himself.

So he made arrangements for his departure. He took all he had and prepared to leave. There was an iron weighing balance which he could not take along with him. So he took it to his friend the moneylender. “Friend, I am going on business to the next town. Will you please keep this iron balance for me till I return?” requested the merchant.

“Surely. Why not? May you prosper more than before and return,” wished the moneylender.

The merchant did very well in the next town and after a while had earned a good amount of money. He decided to go back to his hometown. He returned home a rich man.

He went to his friend the moneylender. “Hello friend, I am back. Can you please return my iron weighing balance? I will need it to resume my business here.” It was a good weighing balance and the moneylender was a selfish man.

So he said, “I am very sorry my friend. I kept your iron balance in my storeroom, but the rats ate it up.”

The merchant knew that his friend the moneylender was lying. He pretended to believe him and then asked, “My friend, I want to take a bath in the river. Will you send your little son with me? I want him to keep an eye on my clothes and my money bag.”

The moneylender readily agreed and sent his little son along with the merchant. The merchant took the little boy and locked him up in a place in the outskirts of the town and went back to the moneylender.

He said, “I am very sorry my friend, while I was walking down to the river with your son, an eagle swooped down and carried him away.”

“You are lying,” shouted the money lender angrily. “Return my son or I will take you to the judge.”

“Come, let us go,” said the merchant.

Hearing the merchant’s story about the eagle, the judge said, “Are you trying to fool me? How can an eagle fly away with a boy?”

“If rats can eat an iron weighing balance, why can’t an eagle fly away with a boy?” asked the merchant.

“Explain yourself,” ordered the confused judge. After listening to the whole story, the judge could not help smiling. He turned to the dishonest money lender and said, “He paid you back with the same coin. Return his weighing balance to him and he will return your son to you.”