Rohini's Challenge




In a quaint old city, deep in the hinterland of the country, a rich merchant once announced a reward of a thousand gold coins for anyone who could spend a whole winter night standing knee deep in the river. 

In the same city, lived an old man and his young daughter, Rohini. The old man was poor and burdened with debt – he had nothing more to lose but his life. He decided to try his luck and accepted the merchant’s challenge. 


On a cold wintry night, the old man mustered up all his courage and waded into the river. A little off the bank, as the freezing water knocked against his quivering knees, he steadied himself and stood facing the bank. A little crowd gathered and twittered amongst themselves. Most concluded he wouldn't last even until midnight. As the night grew deeper, they grew impatient and drifted away homewards. Eventually, the river bank was empty, even the howling dogs having retreated into warmer corners of the city. 


When dawn broke the next morning, the old man walked to the merchant’s house to collect his reward. The haughty, devious merchant took one look at the haggard figure before him and scoffed, “You? How could you have withstood the cold for a whole night?” 


The old man, acutely humble and truthful as he was, replied sheepishly, “Well, there was a lamp burning on the riverbank. I kept watching the flame and it gave me the strength to withstand the cold.” 

“Ahaa,” exulted the merchant. “Then, you have cheated! I will not give you the gold coins.” The old man could not argue with the merchant and returned home dejected. 


Seeing him cheated of his reward by the cunning merchant, the old man’s daughter, Rohini, seethed with anger. How could the merchant question the integrity of her father? How could he go back on his word, especially when the challenge had been successfully completed? She decided to teach the merchant a lesson. 


The next day, Rohini went to the merchant’s house and invited him for a meal. The merchant accepted the invitation and arrived at the appointed hour. Rohini had prepared dishes to the best of her ability, some a little extra spicy. After the merchant finished his meal, he asked for some water. Rohini was waiting for exactly this moment. She pointed to a pitcher of water and said, “there is the water. Please quench your thirst.”


The merchant was puzzled, at first, and grew annoyed as his thirst increased. “What kind of joke is this? How do you expect me to quench my thirst after this spicy meal by just looking at the water in the distance?” 


Rohini replied, “in the same way as you thought my father stayed warm in the river by just looking at the lamp in the distance.” 


The merchant understood the point Rohini was trying to make. He hung his head in shame at the injustice he had meted out. Apologising to Rohini, he proceeded to give the old man the coins that he had rightfully earned in the challenge. 

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