One day Nandu rode his horse to the village fair. On his way back he met Somendra, the merchant. The merchant was a crafty man, ready to do anything to earn some money. The villages knew this. In fact, no one knew what trick he would be up to next. Now, Nandu was poor and had no one in the world to call his own except a beautiful, white horse. He loved it more than anything else in the world. The merchant had his eye on the horse for a long time and tried to think of a way to get it for himself. Seeing Nandu, the merchant thought, Nandu is a simpleton. Let me see if I can trick him out of his horse. So he said to Nandu, You live all alone. How do you manage? What does a young boy like you need with a horse? Sell it to me and I shall make you rich in return. Nandu replied, “No I don’t want to sell my horse.”
But the merchant refused to give up so easily. He offered Nandu more money. Finally, when the offer reached five hundred gold coins, Nandu paused and said. Five hundred gold coins seems like a good price. But I have a condition. If you agree to it, I shall give you my horse. “What is it?”, the merchant asked impatiently. “Give me the money right now and I shall give you my horse when I have given you ten lashes.” After all he would resell the horse for over a thousand gold coins in the market. He would take twenty lashes for such a gain. He agreed instantly. He ran home and got the money for Nandu and brought along his whip as well. Nandu counted the money care fully. He then took the whip and the lashes fell on the merchant’s back in quick succession. By the eighth lash the merchant was almost in tears but he told himself that there were only two lashes to go and the horse would be his. The merchant held his breath waiting for the final lashes. But Nandu had mounted his horse and was riding off. “Wait!”, shouted the merchant in anger. “What about the last lashes? Where are you going with the horse? We had a deal. last lashes later. Till then goodbye! “Come back you cheat!”, the merchant shouted. But the crowd that had gathered around agreed with Nandu. A deal was a deal. Till the last lash was given, the horse could not belong to the merchant. Nandu rode away richer by five hundred gold coins and Somendra waited in vain for several days for the final lash which never came.
