ROTTEN BRINJALS
Once, Shree Rang, then a school boy was asked by his
school-teacher to purchase 500 grams of brinjals and carry them to
his house.
The teacher, though sincere in his profession was habituated to
send his students on errands and for petty purchases. This annoyed
the students. But nobody could raise a voice against it. Shree Rang
was also not spared by the teacher.
For some days shree Rang tolerated the errands and sincerely
obeyed the teacher. But soon he was provoked and planned to teach a
lesson to the unscrupulous teacher.
When the said teacher told Shree Rang to purchase brinjals and
gave him a rupee for the purpose; he did not exhibit any sign of
disobedience and meekly left the school for the work entrusted to
him. While on the way to the market Shree Rang thought that it was a
good chance to do something in order to stop the recurrence.
On going to the market Shree Rang asked the greengrocer to give
him brinjals, those were rotten and totally unworthy of cooking. A
purchase was made for fifteen annas as Shree Rang was required to
make provisions of one anna for the labour.
After the purchase the greengrocer mounted a sack full of the
brinjais upon the head of a labourer. Shree Rang, further took the
brinjais to the house of the teacher and said to the wife of the
teacher, ” Madam, your husband, my teacher has sent these brinjals.
Please empty the sack as it is to be returned to the greengrocer
“
The brinjais were poured out of the sack. The wife of the teacher
was extremely astonished to see the rotten lot. Before she could pass
any adverse remark about the brinjals, Shree Rang told her to keep
quiet and left for the school.
Next day the teacher having learnt about the fact called Shree
Rang and said, ” What a nasty purchase! Valame, whence have you
turned mischievous ? “
” Believe me, sir, ” said Shree Rang politely, I have high regards
for you. But to get rid of your habit of sending students out of the
school in school-hours for small works, deliberately I had purchased
stinking brinjals. Forgive me, sir, I alone am responsible for this
raw-deal.”
The sober behaviour of Shree Rang replaced the resultant odd
feelings with large on the face of the teacher into a crease of
smile.