Once, there lived a wealthy merchant named Somnath. He had a trusted assistant whom he relied on for all his business matters. However, one day, the assistant stole a heavy bag of gold coins and vanished without a trace. Somnath searched everywhere, but the thief was nowhere to be found.
Weeks later, while Somnath was visiting a busy marketplace, he spotted a man named Raghu. Somnath immediately recognized him; this was the very man who had stolen his gold! Raghu was a clever trickster, and Somnath felt a wave of fear, wondering if the thief would recognize him too.
To his surprise, Raghu ran straight toward Somnath and began shouting loudly in front of everyone. "Sir! This man is pretending to be a merchant, but he is actually the thief who stole your money!" Raghu cried out falsely. Somnath was stunned. "How dare you! You are the one who stole from me!" Somnath shouted back. The commotion drew a crowd, and soon, the village's wise judge arrived to settle the dispute.
The judge listened to both men. Raghu was a smooth talker and made his lies sound very convincing. The judge realized that words alone would not reveal the truth. He decided to use a clever test.
He led them to a small room with a window overlooking a sharp, polished sword held by a guard. "Listen carefully," the judge commanded. "You must both lean your heads out of this window. The guard has been ordered to strike the head of anyone who is lying or acting suspiciously."
Raghu's heart raced with terror. The thought of the sharp blade made him panic. He immediately pulled his head back inside the room, trembling. Somnath, knowing he had nothing to hide, calmly and steadily leaned his head out of the window to show he was innocent.
The judge smiled and pointed at Raghu. "The thief's fear has betrayed him!" he declared. Raghu was arrested immediately, and the stolen gold was recovered. Somnath thanked the judge for his brilliant wisdom.
Moral
A lie may run fast, but the truth will always catch up through the heart's reaction.
