Q1.
Let us Read — The Decision of the Panchayat. Read the story and enjoy it.
Answer
Here is the whole story, just as it is printed in the book. Read it once for the fun of it. Then read it again and stop at the judgment — that is where the whole story turns.
Once upon a time, there lived a farmer in a small village. He had two fields. He used to work very hard. When he prospered, he bought another field. There was a well next to it. Since the farmer needed a source of water for his fields, he bought the well from his neighbour.
The neighbour was a cunning man. He thought of a plan to cheat the farmer.
The next day, when the farmer reached the well, he found the neighbour standing there. He refused to let the farmer take water from the well. On asking why, he replied, “I sold only the well to you, not the water. The water still belongs to me. You cannot take it.”
The worried farmer didn’t know what to do. So, he went to the village chief and told her about his case, and said, “He is not letting me take the water.”
The village chief fixed a day for a meeting of the Panchayat.
The day came, and the members of the Panchayat gathered under the banyan tree in the centre of the village. Both the farmer and his neighbour were summoned. Most of the villagers were present.
The farmer explained the situation to the gathering. The chief asked the neighbour why he was not letting the farmer draw water from the well. The cunning man said the same thing again, “I sold only the well to him, not the water in it. The water still belongs to me. So, he cannot take my water.”
The members of the Panchayat, as well as the villagers, tried to reason with him, but he was adamant. Finally, the Panchayat members discussed the matter among themselves. Then they stood up to give the judgment. The villagers also stood up.
The village chief began, “After hearing both sides, we agree that it is correct to say that only the well was sold.” The neighbour gave a satisfied smile. “However,” continued the village chief, “if you have NOT sold the water and the water is yours, then you have no business keeping your water in his well. Remove the water or use it all up immediately. If not, the water will belong to the owner of the well.”
The farmer was relieved and gave a shout of joy. The cunning neighbour realised that cheating will not lead anywhere. He had to pay a fine as well as apologise to the farmer. The villagers praised the wisdom of the Panchayat.
The neighbour was a cunning man. He thought of a plan to cheat the farmer.
The next day, when the farmer reached the well, he found the neighbour standing there. He refused to let the farmer take water from the well. On asking why, he replied, “I sold only the well to you, not the water. The water still belongs to me. You cannot take it.”
The worried farmer didn’t know what to do. So, he went to the village chief and told her about his case, and said, “He is not letting me take the water.”
The village chief fixed a day for a meeting of the Panchayat.
The day came, and the members of the Panchayat gathered under the banyan tree in the centre of the village. Both the farmer and his neighbour were summoned. Most of the villagers were present.
The farmer explained the situation to the gathering. The chief asked the neighbour why he was not letting the farmer draw water from the well. The cunning man said the same thing again, “I sold only the well to him, not the water in it. The water still belongs to me. So, he cannot take my water.”
The members of the Panchayat, as well as the villagers, tried to reason with him, but he was adamant. Finally, the Panchayat members discussed the matter among themselves. Then they stood up to give the judgment. The villagers also stood up.
The village chief began, “After hearing both sides, we agree that it is correct to say that only the well was sold.” The neighbour gave a satisfied smile. “However,” continued the village chief, “if you have NOT sold the water and the water is yours, then you have no business keeping your water in his well. Remove the water or use it all up immediately. If not, the water will belong to the owner of the well.”
The farmer was relieved and gave a shout of joy. The cunning neighbour realised that cheating will not lead anywhere. He had to pay a fine as well as apologise to the farmer. The villagers praised the wisdom of the Panchayat.
The story in six steps:
- The farmer works and grows. He has two fields. He works very hard. When he prospers, he buys a third field, and then the well beside it.
- The neighbour makes a plan. He has taken the money for the well. Now he wants the water back too.
- The trick. He stands at the well and says he sold the well but not the water.
- The farmer asks for help. He does not fight. He goes to the village chief.
- The Panchayat meets. Under the banyan tree, in front of the whole village, both men are heard.
- The judgment. The chief agrees that only the well was sold — and then says the water must be taken out at once. The neighbour is caught in his own words.
Why the judgment is so clever: The chief does not argue with the neighbour. She agrees with him. She takes his own sentence — “the water is mine” — and simply follows it to the end. If the water is his, then it is his water sitting in someone else’s well. Nobody may store his things in another man’s property for free. So the neighbour must either carry his water away or give it up. Neither choice helps him.
What is a Panchayat? A gram panchayat is the elected council of a village or a group of villages. The villagers vote and choose its members. Its head is called the sarpanch, or village chief — in this story the chief is a woman. The Panchayat looks after local work such as water, roads, street lights and cleanliness, and it often helps neighbours settle small disagreements by hearing both of them together. It is not a court of law. Serious crimes are for the police and the courts.
Did you notice? The meeting is held under the banyan tree in the centre of the village, and “most of the villagers were present”. Nothing is decided in secret. Everyone hears what each man says. That openness is a big part of what makes the decision fair.