Chapter:1
Now, this village had been facing a horrible problem for a long time. It was
near a great desert and the rains came only once a year to fill its ponds and
wells. But the rains had disappeared for the last two years, and the villagers
had been making do with water from a faraway stream. Every morning groups
of men and women walked a long distance, filled their pots from the little
stream and used that the whole day. Naturally, no one wanted to waste even a
drop of this precious water.
Yet how do you say no to a thirsty, tired old man when he asks for water?
Without a second thought, the shopkeeper, Ravi, who was very kindhearted,
poured out a tumbler of water from his pot and gave it to the old man. The
man drank it up greedily. Then he said one more word: 'More!' And without
waiting for Ravi to give it to him, he lunged for the pot, picked it up and
lifting it to his lips drank up Ravi's entire day's supply of water!
Poor Ravi, what could he do? He just stared in dismay. Then he told
himself, 'Never mind. After all, I did help someone in need.'
The stranger, meanwhile, now seemed to feel better. He handed the pot
back to Ravi, gave a smile that filled Ravi's heart with warmth and said, 'My
son, always be kind like this. Help everyone who comes to you like you
helped me, and you will be blessed.' Then he picked up his stick and slowly
hobbled down the road. Ravi watched the strange old man disappear into the
distance, then returned to his shop.
The afternoon heat grew worse. After a while Ravi felt his head was about
to burst with a headache. His lips were parched and his throat hurt, it was so
dry. He really needed a drink of water. But the visitor had finished it all up!
Hoping to coax a drop or two out of the pot, Ravi lifted it to his lips and tilted
it. Imagine his surprise when a gush of water ran down his face! It was sweet,
refreshing water which not only quenched his thirst, but wiped out his
headache too.
Ravi was staring at the water pot, trying to figure out what had just
happened, when Karim limped into his shop. Karim was a young man who
had hurt his leg in an accident many years ago which had left him with a limp.
When he was unwell or tired, his limp became worse. Karim, too, flopped
down on the bench in front of the store and caught his breath, like the old
man. Then he fished out a shopping list from his pocket and handed it to Ravi.
As Ravi started packing up the items listed on the paper, Karim opened a little
bundle of food and ate his lunch sitting on the bench. Finally he wiped his mouth on his scarf and pointed to Ravi's pot of water. 'Mind if I take a little
sip? It is so hot after all.'
Ravi was busy measuring out some dal. He said without looking up, 'I
would be happy to offer you some, but someone's already had most of it.
Then I was feeling unwell and I think I finished the last of it.'
'What are you saying, my friend? I can clearly see the pot brimming over
with water!'
Ravi looked up and stared in disbelief. In front of his eyes, Karim poured
out a tumblerful of water and drank it. Then he paid for all his groceries and
left the store.
Did his limp look as if it was nearly gone? Ravi watched him for a while
trying to figure out, then decided the heat was playing tricks on his mind and
went back into the cool comfort of his shop and dozed off.
He woke with a start as someone was calling his name urgently. He opened
his eyes to find Karim back. This time he was holding by the hand his little
sister Fatima. 'Brother, wake up. We need your help,' Karim urged.
'Wh-what? Is something wrong?'
'Fatima is burning up with fever!'
'Then go to a doctor, why have you got her to a grocery shop?'
Karim stared at him and said, 'You mean you don't know how you just
helped me? My leg, which has been troubling me for the last many years,
healed up on its own as soon as I drank the water from your magic pitcher!
Give Fatima a drink from it, too. I am sure her fever will disappear in no
time.'
Ravi was astounded. Magic pitcher? Healing water? What was Karim
going on about? Nonetheless he passed the pot to Fatima. She drank a bit,
then sat down to rest. Within minutes she lifted her head and said, 'It is true,
brothers! I am indeed cured of the fever!'
Soon the news spread in the village like wildfire. Ravi, the quiet, kind
grocery storekeeper, was now the owner of a magic pitcher, the waters from
which could heal anyone of any disease. Every night Ravi left the pitcher in
the store, and in the morning it would be filled to the brim with sweet, cool
water. Daily, a queue of sick people and their relatives collected in front of his
shop. To each one Ravi gave a drink of the water, and they went away saying
they were now better. The pot was never empty. Ravi realized the old man he
had helped must have given him this gift in gratitude. Ravi understood what a
great gift it was and thanked him daily in his mind. Soon his little store turned into a hospital. Ravi did not charge a paisa for
the water. People would leave some money, some gifts for him, and others did
not pay him anything but he was still happy with that.
Chapter: 2
One day, a rich landlord's servant appeared at his doorstep and said, 'My
master is unwell. Come with me and give him a drink of your water.'
Ravi replied, 'See the crowd of people behind you, waiting for their turn.
How can I leave without helping them and go to your master? Do you think
these sick people can stand in the sun for long? Tell your master to come to
me instead and I will give him the water here.'
The servant said, 'Ravi, what will you get by helping these poor people? A
few rupees? Some rice and dal? Come to my master's house. He will shower
you with money and gifts. Your worries about making ends meet will be over
for at least a month.'
Ravi was tempted. It was true, why not cure one rich man and get some
help in buying his daily needs? Ravi told the people waiting outside to come
back the next day and went with the servant to the landlord.
Slowly, in this way, Ravi changed. Where once he could not bear to see the
pain and sadness of the sick and poor people, he now started each day hoping
he would get one rich patient at least, who would pay him handsomely.
Days passed thus. Seasons changed and it was summer once more. Ravi
was in his old store, writing up his accounts, when the voice of an old man
quavered in his ear, 'Son, water!'
Startled, he looked up. Was it the same old man who had given him the gift
of the magic pitcher? But right behind the visitor was none other than the
king's messenger. 'Come quickly!' the messenger shouted. 'The queen has
been bitten by a mosquito!'
'Water!' the old man repeated.
'The queen is unwell!' the messenger shouted again.
Ravi looked from one to the other. One was a grubby old man who may or
may not be the same person who gave him the pitcher. On the other side a
messenger from the king himself! He pictured the gold coins showering down
on him once his healing water soothed the queen's mosquito bites. The choice
was clear.
He picked up his pitcher and said to the stranger, 'Wait right here, Uncle,
I'll be back soon.'
The king's swift-footed horses took him to the palace. There he rushed to
the queen who was staring in dismay at the mosquito bites on her arm. He tilted the pitcher to pour some water into a tumbler, but nothing came! Again
and again he tilted the pitcher. He turned it upside down and stared into its
depths. It was dry as a bone.
'You cheat!' the king roared. 'So this is how you have been fooling the
people of my kingdom! Get out, and never let me hear that you have acquired
magical healing powers. If you claim such a thing again I will banish you
forever from the village.' Then he turned to comfort his queen who was
splashing tears on the bump on her arm.
Ravi slowly walked back to his village. He went to his shop. No one was
there. He searched for the old man who had asked for water. He was nowhere
to be seen. He called out, 'Uncle, I am sorry. I made a mistake. Please do
come. I will give you water.' But there was no reply. Now he realized this was
the same old man whom he met a year back.
He remembered the people he had healed once out of kindness and
compassion and how much they had blessed and loved him in return. He
remembered their little acts of generosity, sparing him a few coins, a bundle
of vegetables from their garden in return for the water. When did he become
so selfish and greedy that he would neglect the people who had needed him
the most? The old man had taken back his powers when he sensed Ravi had
misused the gift.
Never mind, Ravi smiled to himself. He would use the money he had
received for the water to help bring a real doctor to the village, someone who
would help the people with his knowledge of medicines and diseases, so that
they need not wait for a magician to cure them of their illnesses.
From that day onwards Ravi filled his pitcher with ordinary water from the
stream and carried it back carefully to his little store and waited for the old
man. Maybe one day he would be back, but till then, Ravi was determined to
bring a real medicine man to his village.
Chapter: 3
Ajji finished her story and looked around at the four little faces around her.
Raghu was deep in thought. Ajji smiled at him. Then the children shouted,
'Ajji, tell one more story!'
'Ah ha,' Ajji said, 'too many stories a day are not good either. One laddoo is
very sweet, very delicious but if you eat laddoos all the time it's no fun. Go and play outside. Tomorrow I will tell you another story.' With that she got up
and went to the kitchen to supervise the dinner.