Gopal and Chandra Bhanu were two friends. They had some lands and they could till the soil for a comfortable living, but they had gone to school. They considered themselves superior to others. That is why they did not work.
“Let’s go to the town. There are plenty of opportunities there for earning happily,” proposed Gopal.
“That is a brilliant idea,” agreed Chandra Bhanu.
So, one fine day, the two ambitious friends arrived in the town. They paid a visit to a big office sporting an elegant signboard and announced, “We two friends are ready to work for you for a decent salary.”
“It is so kind of you. But we are not yet ready to accommodate men like you,” said the” manager of the office.
They paid visits to several offices thereafter. But there was no work for them anywhere. They spent whatever little money they had in a few days. Then they lived by free food distributed by some temples and spent their nights at free guest houses meant for pilgrims.
“How long to go on like this? Let’s try our hand at a bit of robbery,” proposed Gopal.
“That is not a bad idea. I’m sure, clever that we are, we will succeed at that,” said Chandra Bhanu.
After some observations, they chose a lonely house situated in a narrow lane for their first operation. The house belonged to a jeweler. He had his show-room and shop in the bazar, but he stocked his jewelry at home, in a safe.
“All that is necessary is to take his treasure out of his safe. Then we will go over to another town and sell the booty to some jeweler there. Then we will be rich,” said Gopal.
“That should not be difficult at all!” said Chandra Bhanu.
At night, before the jeweler was back home, they managed to open the lock of his house. Chandra Bhanu entered the house and Gopal locked it. Chandra Bhanu was to hide himself inside the house. He was to
mark where the jeweler kept the key of his safe. After the jeweler went to bed, he was to open the safe and take out the treasure and come out through the rear door.
Chandra Bhanu entered the jeweler’s bedroom and climbed the loft and waited patiently. The jeweler came home when it was quite dark. He lighted a lantern and went through his accounts. Then he retired to bed, tucking the key of his safe under his pillow.
Chandra Bhanu waited for him to fall asleep. But he began to feel uneasy and nervous. After a while there was a knock on the door.
“Who is there?” asked the jeweler.
“I come from your father-in law’s village. There is some important news for you from your wife. Will you please open the door?” said the man outside the house.
The jeweler opened the door. Suddenly the stranger pushed his way in, brandishing a knife and said in a grim voice, “Open the safe!”
“I will not!” said the jeweler.
“Then prepare to die!” said the bandit as he raised his knife.
Suddenly Chandra Bhanu jumped down and planted a blow on the bandit’s arm. The knife fell down. The jeweler and Chandra Bhanu captured him and tied his hands. Two guards were patrolling the streets. They arrived on the scene and led the bandit away to the kotwal.
The jeweler focused his stern gaze on Chandra Bhanu and asked him, “Who are you? What were you doing up there on my loft?”
Chandra Bhanu fell at the jeweler’s feet and narrated all about his adventure. The jeweler was at first stunned.
Then he said, “Whatever be your motive, Providence lees you to save my life. I should help you. I believe that
you are not a seasoned bandit. Had you been that, you would have waited till the other bandit had got hold of my treasure. Then you would have either killed him or obliged him to part with half of the booty.”
“Sir, I could not restrain myself when I saw the bandit about to stab you,” said Chandra Bhanu.
“That shows that you are a good man. I don’t know what kind of man your friend is. But, for your sake, I can give him too a chance,” said the jeweler.
He employed both of them as his assistants in his shop. The two friends had meanwhile learnt something about the ways of the world. They worked hard and faithfully. In course of time they became share-holders in the jeweler’s business.
