By Naramsetti Umamaheswararao
In the town of Kalyanapuram, there lived a wealthy man named Raghav. He had a daughter of marriageable age and was seeking a suitable groom for her.
Once, while Raghav was traveling to a nearby village called Bangaru Palem to explore a possible marriage alliance, he met Anand on the way. Anand introduced himself, saying he was from Machavaram village, well-educated, settled in business, and unmarried.
Raghav thought that Anand might make a good son-in-law, but he decided to test his intelligence and character before making a decision.
As they were traveling, the heat of the sun intensified, and Raghav felt thirsty. He asked a passerby, “Is there a well or a pond nearby?” The man pointed to a pond and said, “You can quench your thirst at that pond.”
Anand asked the man, “Is the pond water poisonous or life-giving?” The man replied, “I don’t know.” Raghav went ahead and drank the water from the pond. He thought to himself, “What a strange question Anand asked! Is he a fool?”
After some distance, two more travelers joined them. One was a farmer, and the other was a moneylender. The farmer was going to a neighbouring village to buy cattle, and the moneylender was on his way to collect old debts.
Anand asked the farmer, “Are you a provider of food or just greedy?” The farmer remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Then, Anand turned to the moneylender and asked, “Do you care for people’s well-being or just focus on squeezing them dry?” The moneylender also remained silent. Raghav now firmly believed Anand was indeed a madman and thought, “There’s no way I can accept him as my son-in-law.”
Even though Raghav continued walking with Anand, he kept his distance, disliking the way Anand spoke. The other two travelers also found Anand’s words odd and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
A little further into the journey, it was noon, and the group felt hungry. They sat under a tree, unpacked their food, and began to eat. But Anand’s attention was drawn to a nearby bush. “It’s not safe to sit here. Let’s move away immediately,” Anand warned.
The other three ignored him and said, “We will eat here. If you don’t like it, go wherever you wish.” But Anand insisted, “I’m saying this for your safety. I sense a dangerous snake nearby. If we don’t leave quickly, it could be a threat.”
Raghav mocked him, “Did the snake come and tell you this in a dream? Or do you have some magical powers?”
Anand pointed to a snake’s skin near the bush and said, “Look at that freshly shed snakeskin. It’s about fourteen feet long and thick, which indicates the size of the snake. It must be nearby. I’m warning you based on this evidence.”
As soon as Anand finished speaking, the farmer screamed, “Look! There it is! The snake is coming toward us, just as Anand said.” In no time, all four ran far away to a safe place and had their meal.
Raghav ’s opinion about Anand began to change. He realised Anand wasn’t mad after all. However, Raghav was still curious why Anand had asked those strange questions earlier.
He asked Anand, “You seem to be a wise man. Why did you ask if the pond water was life-giving or poisonous?”
Anand replied, “Even if the water looks clean, it could be filled with dirt or dangerous creatures like crocodiles, which would make it deadly. On the other hand, water from a safe, clean source sustains life, making it like nectar. That’s why I asked.”
Next, Raghav asked, “Why did you ask the farmer if he was a provider of food or just greedy?”
Anand explained, “A farmer who grows food crops feeds others, so, he’s a provider of food. But if he only grows cash crops for profit, he is driven by greed. That’s why I asked.”
Hearing this, the farmer proudly declared, “I am certainly a provider of food!”
Then Raghav asked, “What was the meaning behind your question to the moneylender—whether he cared for people or just squeezed them dry?”
Anand replied, “There are two kinds of moneylenders. Those who consider the financial situation of the borrower and give them time to repay with understanding — they care for people. But those who are ruthless and demand repayment no matter what, are only focused on taking money and are like a burden on people’s backs. That’s why I asked.”
The moneylender, realising the wisdom in Anand’s words, said, “I am definitely the kind who cares for people!”
With all his doubts cleared, Raghav invited Anand to his home and expressed his desire to make him his son-in-law.
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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