There he sat motionless, like one turned to stone, whilst darkness fell around him; and when, about eleven oclock that night, a certain gay young fellow named Kooshy Ram passed by with a friend, he saw the merchant sitting hunched against the wall, and remarked: A thief, no doubt. You are wrong, returned the other, thieves dont sit in full view of people like that, even at night. And so the two passed on, and thought no more of him. About five oclock next morning Kooshy Ram was returning home again, when, to his astonishment, he saw the miserable merchant still sitting as he had seen him sit hours before. Surely something must be the matter with a man who sat all night in the open street, and Kooshy Ram resolved to see what it was; so he went up and shook the merchant gently by the shoulder. Who are you? asked he-and what are you doing here-are you ill?
Ill? said the merchant in a hollow voice, yes; ill with a sickness for which there is no medicine.
Oh, nonsense! cried Kooshy Ram. Come along with me, I know a medicine that will cure you, I think. So the young man seized the merchant by the arm, and hoisting him to his feet, dragged him to his own lodging; where he first of all gave him a large glass of wine, and then, after he had refreshed him with food, bade him tell his adventures.
Meanwhile the merchants companions in the market-place, being dull-witted persons, thought that as he did not return he must have gone home by himself; and as soon as they were tired of waiting they went back to their village and left him to look after his own affairs. He would therefore have fared badly had it not been for his rescuer, Kooshy Ram, who, whilst still a boy, had been left a great deal of money with no one to advise him how to spend it. He was high-spirited, kind-hearted, and shrewd into the bargain; but he threw away his money like water, and generally upon the nearest thing or person in his way, and that, alas! most often was himself! Now, however, he had taken it into his head to befriend this miserable merchant, and he meant to do it; and on his side the merchant felt confidence revive, and without further ado told all that had happened.
Kooshy Ram laughed heartily at the idea of any stranger entrusting his wealth to Beeka Mull.
Why, he is the greatest rascal in the city, he cried, unless you believe what some of them say of me! Well, there is nothing to be done for the present, but just to stay here quietly, and I think that at the end of a short time I shall find a medicine which will heal your sickness. At this the merchant again took courage, and a little ease crept into his heart as he gratefully accepted his new friends invitation.
A few days later Kooshy Ram sent for some friends to see him, and talked with them long, and, although the merchant did not hear the conversation, he did hear shouts of laughter as though at some good joke; but the laughter echoed dully in his own heart, for the more he considered the more he despaired of ever recovering his fortune from the grasp of Beeka Mull.
One day, soon after this, Kooshy Ram came to him and said:
You remember the wall where I found you that night, near Beeka Mulls shop?
Yes, indeed I do, answered the merchant.
Well, continued Kooshy Ram, this afternoon you must go and stand in that same spot and watch; and when someone gives you a signal, you must go up to Beeka Mull and salute him and say, Oh, Lala-ji, will you kindly let me have back that box of mine which you have on trust?
Whats the use of that? asked the merchant. He wont do it any more now than he would when I asked him before.
Never mind! replied Kooshy Ram, do exactly what I tell you, and repeat exactly what I say, word for word, and I will answer for the rest.
So, that afternoon, the merchant at a certain time went and stood by the wall as he was told. He noticed that Beeka Mull saw him, but neither took any heed of the other. Presently up the bazaar came a gorgeous palanquin like those in which ladies of rank are carried about. It was borne by four bearers well dressed in rich liveries, and its curtains and trappings were truly magnificent. In attendance was a grave-looking personage whom the merchant recognized as one of the friends who visited Kooshy Ram; and behind him came a servant with a box covered with a cloth upon his head.
The palanquin was borne along at a smart pace and was set down at Beeka Mulls shop. The fat shop-keeper was on his feet at once, and bowed deeply as the gentleman in attendance advanced.
May I inquire, he said, who this is in the palanquin that deigns to favour my humble shop with a visit? And what may I do for her?
The gentleman, after whispering at the curtain of the palanquin, explained that this was a relative of his who was travelling, but as her husband could go no further with her, she desired to leave with Beeka Mull a box of jewels for safe custody. Lala bowed again to the ground. It was not, he said, quite in his way of business; but of course, if he could please the lady, he would be most happy, and would guard the box with his life. Then the servant carrying the box was called up; the box was unlocked, and a mass of jewellery laid open to the gaze of the enraptured Lala, whose mouth watered as he turned over the rich gems.
All this the merchant had watched from the distance, and now he saw-could he be mistaken?-no, he distinctly saw a hand beckoning through the curtain on that side of the palanquin away from the shop. The signal! Was this the signal? thought he. The hand beckoned again, impatiently it seemed to him. So forward he went, very quietly, and saluting Beeka Mull, who was sitting turning over the contents of this amazing box of jewels which fortune and some fools were putting into his care, he said:
Oh, Lala-ji, will you kindly let me have back that box of mine which you have on trust?
The Lala looked up as though he had been stung; but quickly the thought flashed through his mind that if this man began making a fuss again he would lose the confidence of these new and richer customers; so he controlled himself, and answered:
Dear me, of course, yes! I had forgotten all about it. And he went off and brought the little box and put it into the merchants trembling hands. Quickly the latter pulled out the key, which hung by a string round his neck, and opened the box; and when he saw that his treasures were all there he rushed into the road, and, with the box under his arm, began dancing like a madman, with great shouts and screams of laughter. Just then a messenger came running up and, saluting the gentleman attending the palanquin, he said:
The ladys husband has returned, and is prepared to travel with her, so that there is no necessity to deposit the jewels. Whereat the gentleman quickly closed and relocked the box, and handed it back to the waiting servant. Then from the palanquin came a yell of laughter, and out jumped-not a lady-but Kooshy Ram, who immediately ran and joined the merchant in the middle of the road and danced as madly as he. Beeka Mull stood and stared stupidly at them; then, with a shrill cackle of laughter, he flung off his turban, bounced out into the road with the other two, and fell to dancing and snapping his fingers until he was out of breath.
Lala-ji, said the gentleman who had played the part of the relative attendant on the palanquin, why do you dance? The merchant dances because he has recovered his fortune; Kooshy Ram dances because he is a madman and has tricked you; but why do you dance?
I dance, panted Beeka Ram, glaring at him with a bloodshot eye, I dance because I knew thirteen different ways of deceiving people by pretending confidence in them. I didnt know there were any more, and now heres a fourteenth! Thats why I dance!
(Punjbi Story, Major Campbell, Feroshepore.)
[3] Lala is a complimentary title: ji a polite affix; the expression is somewhat equivalent to Dear Sir.