The Farmer and the Money-lender
by Unknown · from Indian Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Once there was a farmer. He was very kind. But he was also very poor.
The Kind Farmer was always sad. He had no money. The Greedy Lender was rich. He was not kind. He took the farmer's last coins.
The Kind Farmer felt very sad. He asked, "How can I be rich?" The Greedy Lender laughed. He said, "Go ask Ram, the Kind Helper!"
The Kind Farmer walked far. He had three small cakes. He gave one cake to a man. He gave one more to a man. He gave his last cake to a man.
The hungry man was Ram, the Kind Helper! Ram was a special friend. He saw the farmer's good heart. Ram gave him a magic shell. "Watch the Greedy Lender," Ram said.
The Kind Farmer went home. He was very happy. The Greedy Lender saw him. "Why is he happy?" he thought.
The Greedy Lender asked many questions. The Kind Farmer told him about the shell. It was a magic shell. But he did not tell its use.
The Greedy Lender took the shell. He tried to make a wish. Nothing happened at all. He was very angry.
The Greedy Lender made a plan. "You can use the shell," he said. "You get one. I get two!"
The Kind Farmer agreed. He wished for a new pot. He got one new pot. The Greedy Lender got two new pots. This made the farmer sad.
The Kind Farmer wished for water. He got one well. The Greedy Lender got two wells. The farmer felt very frustrated.
The Kind Farmer thought hard. He had a good idea! He wished for his small pot. He wished it had a tiny crack.
The farmer's small pot got a tiny crack. The Greedy Lender had two big pots. His two big pots broke. They had huge cracks.
The Greedy Lender was very angry. He was sad about his pots. He could not be greedy no more. He left the village. He was very sad.
The Kind Farmer was happy. He had his small pot. It had a tiny crack. The Greedy Lender was gone. The farmer was free.
At times, small loss stops big greed.
Original Story
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 the last, when he hadn't a farthing left, 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 was hungry, the kindly farmer gave him his last cake, and sitting down to rest beside him, entered into conversation.
"And where are you going?" asked the poor man, at length.
"Oh, I have a long journey before me, for I am going to find Ram!" replied the farmer. "I don't suppose you could tell me which way to go?"
"Perhaps I can," said the poor man, smiling, "for I am Ram! What do you want of me?"
Then the farmer told the whole story, and Ram, taking pity on him, gave him a conch shell, and showed him how to blow it in a particular way, saying, "Remember! whatever you wish for, you have only to blow the conch that way, and your wish will be fulfilled. Only have a care of that money-lender, for even magic is not proof against their wiles!"
The farmer went back to his village rejoicing. In fact the money-lender noticed his high spirits at once, and said to himself, "Some good fortune must have befallen the stupid fellow, to make him hold his head so jauntily." Therefore he went over to the simple farmer's house, and congratulated him on his good fortune, in such cunning words, pretending to have heard all about it, that before long the farmer found himself telling the whole story—all except the secret of blowing the conch, for, with all his simplicity, the farmer was not quite such a fool as to tell that.
Nevertheless, the money-lender determined to have the conch by hook or by crook, and as he was villain enough not to stick at trifles, he waited for a favourable opportunity and stole the conch.
But, after nearly bursting himself with blowing the conch in every conceivable way, he was obliged to give up the secret as a bad job. However, being determined to succeed he went back to the farmer, and said, coolly, "Look here; I've got your conch, but I can't use it; you haven't got it, so it's clear you can't use it either. Business is at a stand-still unless we make a bargain. Now, I promise to give you back your conch, and never to interfere with your using it, on one condition, which is this,—whatever you get from it, I am to get double."
"Never!" cried the farmer; "that would be the old business all over again!"
"Not at all!" replied the wily money-lender; "you will have your share! Now, don't be a dog in the manger, for if you get all you want, what can it matter to you if I am rich or poor?"
At last, though it went sorely against the grain to be of any benefit to a money-lender, the farmer was forced to yield, and from that time, no matter what he gained by the power of the conch, the money-lender gained double. And the knowledge that this was so preyed upon the farmer's mind day and night, so that he had no satisfaction out of anything.
At last, there came a very dry season,—so dry that the farmer's crops withered for want of rain. Then he blew his conch, and wished for a well to water them, and lo! there was the well, but the money-lender had two!—two beautiful new wells! This was too much for any farmer to stand; and our friend brooded over it, and brooded over it, till at last a bright idea came into his head. He seized the conch, blew it loudly, and cried out, "Oh, Ram! I wish to be blind of one eye!" And so he was, in a twinkling, but the money-lender of course was blind of both, and in trying to steer his way between the two new wells, he fell into one, and was drowned.
Now this true story shows that a farmer once got the better of a money-lender—but only by losing one of his eyes.
Story DNA
Moral
Sometimes, to defeat overwhelming greed, one must be willing to make a personal sacrifice, even if it seems extreme.
Plot Summary
A perpetually poor farmer, exploited by a money-lender, seeks Ram for the secret to wealth. After sharing his last food with a disguised Ram, he receives a magical wish-granting conch. The cunning money-lender steals the conch and forces a deal: whatever the farmer wishes for, the money-lender gets double. Driven to despair by the money-lender's ever-increasing wealth, the farmer makes a final, drastic wish to be blind in one eye, knowing the money-lender will become blind in both. This leads to the money-lender's accidental death, freeing the farmer from his torment, though at a personal cost.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects common societal tensions in pre-industrial India between poor farmers and often exploitative money-lenders. The figure of Ram as a benevolent deity is central to Hindu belief.
Plot Beats (14)
- A farmer is constantly impoverished by a greedy money-lender.
- Having lost everything, the farmer asks the money-lender for the secret to wealth, who tells him to ask Ram.
- The farmer sets out to find Ram, sharing his three girdle-cakes with a Brahman, a Jogi, and finally a hungry poor man.
- The poor man reveals himself to be Ram and, moved by the farmer's kindness, gives him a magical conch shell that grants wishes, warning him about the money-lender.
- The farmer returns home joyful, which the money-lender notices.
- The cunning money-lender tricks the farmer into revealing the existence of the conch, though not the secret of how to blow it.
- The money-lender steals the conch but cannot make it work.
- The money-lender proposes a deal: he will return the conch and allow the farmer to use it, but for every wish granted to the farmer, the money-lender will receive double.
- The farmer reluctantly agrees, but the money-lender's double gains constantly vex him.
- During a drought, the farmer wishes for a well, and two appear for the money-lender, further infuriating the farmer.
- The farmer, in a moment of desperate inspiration, wishes to be blind in one eye.
- The farmer becomes blind in one eye, and the money-lender becomes blind in both.
- The money-lender, unable to see, falls into one of his wells and drowns.
- The story concludes by stating the farmer got the better of the money-lender, but at the cost of an eye.
Characters
The Farmer
A man of average height and sturdy, weathered build, accustomed to manual labor in the fields. His skin is tanned and rough from years under the sun. Before his good fortune, he likely appeared gaunt from hardship.
Attire: Simple, practical Indian peasant clothing: a loose-fitting, light-colored cotton dhoti wrapped around his waist and legs, and a plain cotton kurta (tunic) in an earthy tone, perhaps with rolled-up sleeves. He might wear a simple turban or headcloth to protect from the sun, or go bareheaded.
Wants: To escape poverty and the oppression of the money-lender, and to achieve a comfortable life for himself.
Flaw: His simplicity and trusting nature make him vulnerable to manipulation, especially by the money-lender. His desire for fairness also becomes a weakness when it leads him to extreme measures.
He begins as a naive, impoverished victim, gains magical power, is again exploited, and finally transforms into a cunning individual willing to make a great sacrifice to achieve justice and freedom from his tormentor.
Simple, kind-hearted, naive, persistent, and eventually cunning. He is initially easily exploited but possesses a deep-seated desire for justice and a surprising capacity for strategic thinking when pushed to his limits.
The Money-lender
A man of average height, perhaps slightly portly or well-fed, indicating his prosperity. His skin is likely lighter and smoother than the farmer's, as he does not work in the fields. He carries himself with an air of self-importance.
Attire: More refined Indian attire than the farmer, but still appropriate for a businessman rather than royalty. Perhaps a crisp white cotton kurta and a more elaborately draped dhoti or a pair of tailored trousers (pyjamas). He might wear a fine shawl draped over one shoulder and perhaps a small, simple gold ring or two to subtly display his wealth.
Wants: To accumulate as much wealth as possible, at the expense of others, and to maintain his position of power and influence.
Flaw: His insatiable greed and arrogance ultimately lead to his downfall. He cannot bear for anyone else to have more than him, even if it means sacrificing his own well-being.
He begins as a powerful oppressor, continues to exploit the farmer even after the farmer gains magic, and ultimately meets a tragic end due to his own excessive greed and inability to tolerate anyone else's prosperity.
Greedy, cunning, hypocritical, exploitative, relentless, and utterly self-serving. He is driven by an insatiable desire for wealth and power.
Ram
Appears as a humble, poor man, but with an underlying aura of calm wisdom and benevolence. His physical form is unassuming, allowing him to blend in with ordinary people.
Attire: Simple, worn Indian peasant clothing, similar to the farmer's, but perhaps even more humble to emphasize his disguise as a 'poor man.' A simple, faded cotton dhoti and a plain, patched kurta.
Wants: To guide and assist the righteous, and to ensure that justice prevails, even if through indirect means.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, as a deity. His only 'limitation' is the warning he gives about the money-lender's wiles, implying that even divine intervention requires human agency and caution.
Appears briefly to offer divine intervention and guidance, setting the farmer's journey in motion. He does not undergo a personal arc but facilitates the protagonist's transformation.
Compassionate, wise, benevolent, observant, and just. He is willing to help those who are truly deserving and in need.
Locations
The Farmer's Humble House
A simple, likely mud-brick or thatched-roof dwelling, typical of a poor Indian farmer's home, with sparse furnishings. The money-lender visits here.
Mood: Initially desperate and poor, later briefly joyful, then burdened by the money-lender's presence.
The farmer tells the money-lender about the conch; the money-lender later steals it from here.
The Money-lender's House
A more substantial and well-maintained dwelling, reflecting the money-lender's wealth, likely a traditional Indian haveli or a larger village house with more refined construction.
Mood: Pious and cunning when the farmer visits, later a place of frustrated attempts to use the conch.
The farmer initially confronts the money-lender here; the money-lender tries to use the stolen conch here.
Road to Ram / Under a Tree
A dusty, unpaved path winding through a rural Indian landscape, eventually leading to a solitary, large banyan tree where Ram is encountered.
Mood: Initially hopeful and naive, then weary, finally magical and benevolent.
The farmer journeys to find Ram, meets a Brahman and a Jogi, and finally encounters Ram under the tree.
The Farmer's Fields with Wells
The farmer's agricultural land, initially dry and barren, later featuring a newly wished-for well, and then two additional wells for the money-lender.
Mood: Desperate and parched, then a mix of relief and bitter resentment.
The farmer wishes for a well, leading to the money-lender getting two, and the farmer's final, desperate wish.