There was a simple man living in a village. He was completely honest but a bit lacking in intelligence. His life was peaceful, and his wife was his life partner.
One day, that peaceful life was disrupted—a severe water crisis occurred in the village. Life became unbearable without water.
His wife was wise and far-sighted. She thought that something must be done to solve this problem. After saving money with much effort, she decided to buy a well. The well was being sold by a fraud who was known for deceiving others for his own benefit.
After buying the well, everything went smoothly at first. But a few days later, it was suddenly seen that they were no longer allowed to draw water from the well. Not understanding the matter, the simple man went to the fraud and said, “Brother, why have you blocked my well? I bought it from you.”
The fraud laughed and said, “Yes, you bought the well, but I never sold the water! To get water, you have to pay 500 taka per month.”
The fool was surprised and said, “I bought the well. Why do I have to pay separately for water?”
The fraud replied, “You became the owner of the well, but not of the water. I didn’t sell the water. If you want to use it, you must pay separately. Otherwise, not a single drop!”
Without saying anything, he returned home and shared everything with his wife. They both cried in sorrow.
Then the wife said, “Go file a complaint to the village chief. I’ll take care of the rest.”
The fool filed a complaint with the village chief. The chief then summoned the fraud and said, “What’s going on between you two?”
The fool, following his wife’s instructions, said, “Sir, I bought the well but not the water. He’s demanding 500 taka rent every month for using the water. I agree to pay, but I have one condition.”
The chief, surprised, asked, “What condition?”
The fool said, “Since the well is mine, the water is being stored in my property. So I am asking for 1,000 taka as rent for storing water. I’ll give him 500 taka from that, and the other 500 he must give me for using my well.”
The chief smiled and said, “That sounds fair. Then let it be arranged that way.”
The chief told the fraud, “If you want to store water in this well, you must pay 1,000 taka rent per month. Otherwise, remove your water from the well.”
The fraud, embarrassed before everyone, admitted, “I made a mistake. I won’t do such a thing again.”
Thus, the honest but foolish man resolved the problem using his wife’s intelligence. The villagers praised the wife’s wisdom and the man’s patience, and the fraud remained ashamed.
Moral: Even a foolish but honest person can overcome big problems if guided by a wise partner.