By Naramsetti Umamaheswararao
For several days, Mr. Seethapathi, a schoolteacher, had been deeply troubled. Money and personal belongings had been disappearing from the schoolbags of students in his fifth-grade class. That day, matters had taken a more serious turn. His expensive pen had gone missing.
He suspected that one of his students had developed the habit of stealing.
The repeated thefts had begun to affect the entire class. Whenever something went missing, the child who had lost it would complain, while the others would anxiously check their belongings. Afraid that their own money might be stolen, they found it difficult to concentrate on their lessons. Mr. Seethapathi was concerned that the problem was affecting both the children’s peace of mind and their learning. He spent a long time thinking about how to resolve it.
The following day, while he was teaching, a boy named Krishna stood up.
“Sir, the money I kept in my schoolbag is missing,” he said.
Mr. Seethapathi had already decided how he would handle such a situation.
“Children, please step outside for five minutes. I need to check your schoolbags,” he said.
Once the students had left the classroom, he closed the doors and searched their bags. In Kamal’s schoolbag, he found the money Krishna had lost. He also found his own missing pen. The evidence confirmed his suspicion, but instead of confronting Kamal in front of the other children, he quietly put the money aside and kept the pen with him.
After a while, he opened the doors and announced, “I have found the person responsible.”
The children hurried back into the classroom, their faces filled with excitement and curiosity. They were eager to know the identity of the thief. Surely, they thought, the mystery would be solved that day.
But the teacher surprised them.
“I will tell you about it later. For now, let us continue with our lessons,” he said.
He returned Krishna’s money and advised him to keep his belongings safe. He did not mention the missing pen or reveal Kamal’s name.
The children found their teacher’s behaviour puzzling. Why had he kept the culprit’s identity a secret? Why had he not punished the offender? They believed that another teacher might have beaten the child with a cane, humiliated him in front of the class, or summoned his parents to school. Mr. Seethapathi had done none of these things. Instead, he had carried on with his lessons as though nothing unusual had happened.
From the following day, the thefts stopped. The children returned to their usual routine, listening attentively to their lessons. Mr. Seethapathi kept his pen safely with him and waited for the right opportunity to speak to Kamal privately.
Days passed, and the incident gradually faded from the children’s minds.
One day, the headmaster called Mr. Seethapathi to his office. With Independence Day just three days away, the school needed coloured paper and prizes for the celebrations. The headmaster asked him to purchase the necessary items.
Mr. Seethapathi agreed and took a student named Kamal along with him.
After buying everything on the list, they were returning to school when they noticed a crowd gathered beneath a tree. Hearing angry shouts, they went closer to see what was happening. Kamal followed his teacher.
A middle-aged man was tied to a tree while a young man beat him with a stick. Someone threw a slipper at him. Another person poured a bowl of lime solution over his face. A woman in the crowd shouted, “Shave his head, make him ride a donkey, and parade him through the village. Then he will learn his lesson!”
Disturbed by what he saw, Mr. Seethapathi stepped forward and asked, “What crime has this man committed?”
The young man holding the stick came forward angrily.
“He stole the gold and money we had kept in our cupboard. We caught him while he was trying to escape. Do you expect us to welcome him with open arms instead of punishing him?” he demanded.
“Punishment is for the police and the courts to decide,” Mr. Seethapathi replied firmly. “You must not take the law into your own hands. If anything happens to this man, you could find yourselves in serious trouble.”
He then called the police and informed them of the incident.
As they walked away, Mr. Seethapathi turned to Kamal.“Did you see what happened to that man? Once people learn that someone steals, they find it difficult to trust him. They may avoid him and refuse to be his friends. Whenever something goes missing, he may be the first person they suspect. Even if he wishes to change, winning back people’s trust can take a long time. That is why stealing is not just about taking someone else’s belongings. It can also cost a person the respect and friendship of others.”
Kamal listened silently. “Why are you telling me all this, Sir?” he asked at last.
“Because you were the one who took the money that went missing from our classroom,” Mr. Seethapathi replied gently. “When I searched the schoolbags that day, I found Krishna’s money in yours. I also found my missing pen. I could have announced your name in front of everyone and punished you. Imagine the humiliation you would have faced. But I wanted you to understand your mistake and have a chance to correct yourself.”
Kamal lowered his head in shame. “I stole the money to impress my friends and entertain them,” he confessed. “When you did not reveal my name that day, I felt relieved and thought I had escaped without consequences. I even planned to steal again after some time. But now I understand how wrong I was. Seeing what happened to that man has made me realise how easily a person’s life can be ruined by stealing. From today, I will stay away from bad company. I promise I will never steal again. I will study sincerely and try to become a better person. Please, Sir, do not tell anyone that I was the one who stole the money.”
Overcome with remorse, Kamal bent down and fell at his teacher’s feet.
Mr. Seethapathi gently helped him to his feet. “I am glad you have understood your mistake, Kamal,” he said. “I will not humiliate you by telling the other children about what happened. But remember, a promise is meaningful only when you keep it. Show your change through your actions. Study well, choose your friends wisely, and always respect what belongs to others.”
Kamal nodded earnestly. “I will, Sir. I will never forget this lesson.”
Mr. Seethapathi felt deeply satisfied. It was purely by chance that Kamal had accompanied him that day and witnessed the incident beneath the tree. Yet that chance encounter had given him the opportunity to explain the consequences of stealing through a real-life example.
He was happy that the lesson he had carefully saved for the right moment had finally reached Kamal’s heart. He had not needed to expose or humiliate the boy. Instead, he had helped him recognise his mistake and resolve to change.
For Mr. Seethapathi, there could be no greater reward than seeing a student transform himself into a better human being.
Naramsetti Umamaheswararao has written more than a thousand stories, songs, and novels for children over 42 years. he has published 32 books. His novel, Anandalokam, received the Central Sahitya Akademi Award for children’s literature. He has received numerous awards and honours, including the Andhra Pradesh Government’s Distinguished Telugu Language Award and the Pratibha Award from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University. He established the Naramshetty Children’s Literature Foundation and has been actively promoting children’s literature as its president.
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