Once upon a time, there was a deceitful shopkeeper who had a habit of shortchanging every customer by giving them less goods than the standard weight. One fateful day, a shrewd customer decided it was time to teach the shopkeeper a lesson. He entered the shop with the intention of purchasing a kilo of sugar, fully aware of the shopkeeper’s dishonest practices.
True to form, the shopkeeper handed him a lesser amount of sugar, just as he had done with countless other customers. Intrigued by this recurring injustice, the customer demanded an explanation for the underweight goods. The shopkeeper, attempting to justify his actions, nonchalantly replied, “Friend, why are you so upset? I intentionally provided you with less weight so that you would have to carry a lighter load.”
The clever customer, maintaining a composed demeanor, paused for a moment before settling the score. He proceeded to pay the shopkeeper an amount that was less than what was owed. Perplexed, the shopkeeper questioned the customer’s seemingly unfair payment. With a sly smile, the customer retorted, “I have paid you less because now you will have to count a smaller sum.”
In this way, the dishonest shopkeeper received a taste of his own medicine and learned a valuable lesson. The tables had turned, and the customer had successfully outwitted the cunning shopkeeper, ensuring that justice was served.
Moral: Dishonesty is paid by its own coin.
