Vikram and Vaitaal Stories From Other Sources - Story-6
These stories have been taken from other sources, such as Internet sites, other books etc. Our purpose to keep them here is not to copy them here, but to keep them all Vaitaal stories at one place without losing them, as it is very common with Internet sites that they can disappear within no time. This site lists 6 stories in all.

6-The Real Criminal

Once there lived an old and pious man, renowned for his honesty. One day his neighbor, a rich merchant comes to him with a request. The merchant was leaving on a voyage and wanted the old man to safeguard his wealth, until his return. The old man agreed and with God as witness promised to protect and safeguard the merchant's wealth.

The old man then entrusted the safe keep of the merchant's wealth to his son, from whom he took an oath of propriety and honesty. Slowly the son started dipping into the merchants wealth, people noticed this and warned the old man of the son's misdeeds. The old man called his son and asked him to explain, he also reminded him of his oath on following the right path. The son rubbished the accusations as rumors and the idle gossip of jealous people, who could not bear to see his prosperity. The old man accepted the son's explanation and things went on as before.

The merchant returned and demanded his wealth. The old man called his son, who handed over a quarter of the merchant's wealth saying that it was all there was. The merchant realizing that he had been cheated approached the King. The King listened to the merchant's complaint and summoned the old man. The old man came to the court with his son and handed him over to the King saying - "Your Majesty, the merchant is right. My son has confessed to the crime. Please punish him."

The king had the son flogged and imprisoned. He then praised the old man's honesty and dismissed the case. But the merchant demanded the punishment for the old man saying - "I have still not received justice. I had entrusted my wealth to the old man which he swore by God to safeguard. The old man's integrity is intact, but what of me, I have been robbed of my life's savings, and made a pauper. It was the old man's decision to entrust my wealth to his son for safe keeping that has caused this loss. As far as I am concerned the old man is the real culprit, and should be punished."

The king was astounded by this demand. The old man, was neither a party to the theft nor did he benefit from it. In fact, he had sent his son to jail, yet, the merchant was asking for the old man's punishment.

The Vaitaal asked Vikramaaditya, "What should be the King's decision in this regard?" If you did not reply in spite of knowing the answer your had will split in thousand pieces.

Vikramaditya could not be silent knowing the judgment, so he replied - "Though the old man is innocent of the actual theft, he is guilty of dereliction of duty. The son's crime was a straight forward one, the old man's was a graver crime. He did nothing to protect the merchant's wealth. Far from being vigilant he failed to take action even when he was warned of his son's misdeeds. Because of his laxity the merchant is condemned to a life of penury, so he must be punished."

As soon as Vaitaal heard him speaking he jumped out from Vikramaaditya's shoulder and hung from the branch of the tree.