The Dishonest Debtor
Intermediate · ≈ 5 min story · 3 min read
A farmer burns the written bond that proves his debt, then swears in court that no such paper ever existed. Maryada Rama does not argue with him. He sets a quiet trap out of a single measurement, and lets the farmer's own mouth prove he remembers the bond perfectly.
Once upon a time, in a busy kingdom, there lived a hardworking farmer.
One year his crops failed, and he badly needed money.
So he borrowed one hundred gold coins from a kind moneylender.
The farmer signed a written bond, promising to return the money within three months. The moneylender trusted him and happily agreed.
Three months passed. The harvest was over.
The moneylender came to visit the farmer.
"My friend, the time has come. Please return the money, along with the promised interest."
The farmer smiled politely.
"Certainly. Come to my house tomorrow. Bring the bond with you, and I will repay everything."
The moneylender believed him.
The next morning he arrived with the written bond in his hands.
The farmer looked at it carefully.
"Hmm. There seems to be a mistake here. Let me examine it closely."
The trusting moneylender handed him the paper.
Suddenly the farmer walked straight to the cooking fire and threw the bond into the flames.
The paper burned into ashes.
"What are you doing?" cried the shocked moneylender.
The farmer laughed. "I am making sure you can never ask me for this money again."
The poor moneylender hurried to the court of the wise judge, Maryada Rama, and explained everything.
Soon the farmer was called before the court.
"Why did you burn the bond?" asked Maryada Rama.
The farmer folded his arms. "What bond? I know nothing about any bond. This man is lying."
Maryada Rama watched him quietly.
"You may both return tomorrow," he said.
The farmer smiled to himself. Without the bond, he thought, this man can never prove a thing.
Later that evening, Maryada Rama privately called the moneylender.
"Tell me. How large was the bond?"
"It was about the length of my hand, Your Honor."
Maryada Rama nodded. "When I question you tomorrow, say that it was the length of your forearm."
The moneylender looked surprised, but he trusted the wise judge.
The next day both men returned to court.
Maryada Rama turned to the moneylender first. "Tell the court. How large was the bond?"
"It was about a forearm long," the moneylender answered.
Before anyone else could speak, the farmer shouted.
"That is a lie! It was only as long as a hand!"
The courtroom fell silent.
Maryada Rama smiled.
"Oh? Yesterday you told us that no bond had ever existed. So how do you know exactly how long it was?"
The farmer's face turned pale. He had trapped himself.
Slowly, he lowered his head.
"I am sorry. I lied. I borrowed the money, and I burned the bond so I would not have to repay my debt."
"Trying to destroy the evidence does not destroy the truth," said Maryada Rama.
He ordered the farmer to repay all one hundred gold coins, along with the agreed interest. And because he had lied before the court, he was punished for his dishonesty too.
The grateful moneylender thanked Maryada Rama, and everyone in the kingdom admired his wisdom and fairness.
A lie may hide the truth for a little while, but honesty always wins in the end.
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