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The Farmer and the Money-lender

Watercolor illustration, late afternoon golden hour. A weary farmer with ragged, patched clothes stained with earth stands in front of the ornate, sun-drenched house of a plump and richly dressed money lender. The money lender’s house boasts intricately carved wooden doors and vibrant, blooming jasmine climbing its walls. The farmer, face etched with worry and sweat glistening on his brow, gestures with open, trembling hands in desperation. Long shadows stretch from the farmer and the house. The color palette is warm, with oranges and yellows dominating, but a somber gray clinging to the farmer. Texture: rough, woven mat outside the money lender’s door, contrasting with the smoothness of the farmer’s calloused hands.

Once upon a time, there was a farmer who had a lot of trouble with a money lender. No matter how good or bad his crops were, the farmer was always poor, and the money lender was always rich. One day, when the farmer didn’t have a single penny left, he went to the money lender’s house and said, “You can’t get anything from me anymore, so maybe you can tell me the secret to becoming rich!”

“My friend,” the money lender said in a sweet voice, “riches come from Ram. You should ask him!”

“Thank you, I will!” said the farmer. So, he packed three yummy cakes for his trip and set off to find Ram.

First, he met a Brahman, a wise man, and gave him a cake, asking him to show him the way to Ram. But the Brahman just took the cake and walked away without saying anything.

Watercolor illustration, mid-morning sun streaming through a banyan tree’s leaves, casting dappled shadows. A humble farmer, dressed in simple white cotton, offers a beautifully decorated cake with intricate icing roses to a wise Brahman seated serenely beneath the ancient banyan. The Brahman, adorned in saffron robes, accepts the cake without looking at the farmer, his eyes closed in meditation, a faint smile playing on his lips. The cake sits on a woven leaf platter. Color palette: Greens and browns dominate with pops of vibrant pink and red from the icing. Texture: rough bark of the banyan tree, the soft texture of the cake, and the crispness of the farmer’s cotton clothing.

Then, the farmer met a Jogi, someone who prays a lot, and gave him a cake too, but he didn’t get any help either. Finally, he saw a poor man sitting under a tree. The farmer could tell he was hungry, so he gave him his last cake. Then he sat down next to him to rest and chat.

Watercolor illustration, setting sun, casting a warm, orange glow. A kind farmer, his face etched with lines of hardship but eyes full of compassion, shares his last cake with a thin, ragged, and hungry man sitting under a simple, gnarled tree. The farmer sits next to him, offering the cake with hopeful eyes and a gentle smile. The hungry man’s hands tremble as he accepts a piece. Color palette: Warm oranges, reds, and browns create a sense of intimacy and empathy. Texture: the rough texture of the bark on the tree, the crumbly texture of the cake, the threadbare fabric of the hungry man’s clothes.

“Where are you going?” the poor man asked.

“Oh, I have a long trip ahead of me. I’m going to find Ram!” the farmer said. “I don’t suppose you know which way to go?”

“Maybe I do,” the poor man said with a smile, “because I am Ram! What do you want from me?”

Watercolor illustration, magical realism. Moonlight illuminating a barren field. The surprised farmer, eyes wide with awe, is kneeling before the poor man, who now radiates a divine, ethereal light. The light emanates from him, casting long, soft shadows. The poor man is revealed to be Ram, his skin glowing with a warm luminescence, holding out a shimmering conch shell to the farmer. The conch shell swirls with iridescent colors. Color Palette: Deep blues, purples, and silvers create a sense of mystery and divinity. Texture: dry, cracked earth beneath the farmer’s knees, the smooth, pearlescent surface of the conch shell.

The farmer told Ram everything. Ram felt sorry for him and gave him a special seashell called a conch. He showed the farmer how to blow it in a special way and said, “Remember, whatever you wish for, just blow the conch like this, and you’ll get it! But be careful of that money lender because even magic can’t always beat their tricks!”

The farmer went back to his village, so happy!

Watercolor illustration, bright daylight. The joyful farmer, tears of happiness welling in his eyes, blows the shimmering conch shell in his humble field. A small shower of gold coins erupts from the shell, glittering in the sunlight. He looks upon them with delight, his face beaming with gratitude. His simple house, with a thatched roof and whitewashed walls, stands in the background, a small wisp of smoke curling from the chimney. Color palette: vibrant yellows, golds, and greens create a sense of joy and prosperity. Texture: rough straw of the thatched roof, the smooth surface of the gold coins, the dry earth of the field.

The money lender saw how happy he was and thought, “Something good must have happened to that silly farmer to make him so cheerful.” So, he went to the farmer’s house and pretended to be happy for him, saying he’d heard all about it. Before long, the farmer was telling him the whole story—except for the secret way to blow the conch. Even though he was simple, the farmer wasn’t silly enough to share that!

But the money lender really wanted that conch! He was sneaky enough to do anything to get it.

Watercolor illustration, dusk. The money lender, his face sly and greedy, with narrow eyes and a cruel smirk, peers through a window at the farmer. The window is dirty and cobweb-filled. The farmer is oblivious, tending to his crops with a hoe. The money lender is plotting to steal the conch shell, his fingers steepled in anticipation. Light from an oil lamp illuminates the money lender’s face. Color palette: dark greens, browns, and grays create a sense of suspense and foreboding. Texture: the rough glass of the window pane, the worn wooden frame, the damp stone wall surrounding the window.

So, he waited for the right moment and stole the conch!

He tried blowing it every which way, but it didn’t work. He couldn’t figure out the secret! So, he went back to the farmer and said, “Listen, I have your conch, but I can’t use it. You don’t have it, so you can’t use it either. We need to make a deal. I’ll give you back your conch and never bother you about using it if you promise me that whatever you get from it, I get double!”

“Never!” the farmer cried. “That would be just like before!”

“Not at all!” the sneaky money lender said. “You’ll still get your share! If you get everything you want, what does it matter if I’m rich or poor?”

Finally, the farmer gave in, even though he didn’t want to help the money lender at all. From then on, whatever the farmer got from the conch, the money lender got twice as much! The farmer felt terrible about this all the time and couldn’t enjoy anything.

Then, one year, it didn’t rain for a very long time, and the farmer’s crops started to die. So, he blew his conch and wished for a well to water them. Suddenly, there was a well! But the money lender had two wells! Two beautiful, brand new wells!

Watercolor illustration, midday sun beating down on a dry, cracked field. The farmer stands beside a newly formed well, its stones rough-hewn, looking forlorn and defeated. His shoulders are slumped and his head is bowed. The well is mostly dry, with only a trickle of water. In the background, the money lender stands proudly beside two identical wells on his lush, green property, overflowing with water. He is smirking. Color palette: dry yellows, browns, and grays dominate, highlighting the desolation, contrasting with the vibrant greens of the money lender’s property. Texture: the dry, cracked earth, the rough stones of the well, the smooth surface of the money lender’s manicured lawn.

This was too much for the farmer. He thought and thought about it until he had a great idea! He grabbed the conch, blew it loudly, and shouted, “Oh, Ram! I wish to be blind in one eye!”

Watercolor illustration, moonlit night. The farmer holds the conch shell with a determined and slightly crazed expression, his eyes fixed on the shell with manic intensity as he prepares to make his final wish. The landscape is barren and dry, illuminated by the cold light of the moon. His hair is wild and unkempt. The conch glows faintly. Color palette: Deep blues, purples, and grays create a sense of desperation and madness. Texture: The smooth, cold surface of the conch against the farmer’s trembling hands, the dry, brittle texture of the barren earth, the wind-swept dust swirling around his feet.

And just like that, he was. But the money lender, of course, was blind in both eyes! He tried to walk between his two new wells, but he fell into one and drowned!

So, this story shows that a farmer once tricked a money lender—but he had to lose one of his eyes to do it!

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The Farmer and the Well

The Farmer and the Cat

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