Chandamama Story, 1950s:
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The King of Ujjain was riding his caparisoned Elephant on the streets of Ujjain along with his retinue.
And met the Richest Merchant of Ujjain coming in the opposite direction riding his gold-pleated Elephant along with his retinue.
They greeted each other and were about to part when they discovered the poor Flower-Seller, Sucha, with a most beautiful Lotus in his hand, touting it.
The King was so pleased with the Lotus that he offered an astonishing price of 10 gold mohurs.
Sucha was thrilled at his day's luck, touched the King's feet and was about to hand the Lotus to him, when the Merchant cried: "Stop! I will give you 100 mohurs for your Lotus!"
As the bewildered Sucha was watching, the bids increased tenfold and hundredfold till at last the King said:
"Sucha! I give you half my Kingdom for your Lotus!"
Sucha came to his senses meanwhile and was wondering what was going on and asked:
"Raja! How does this poor Lotus deserve such a whopping price?"
The King and the Merchant revealed:
"Lord Buddha is camping today under the Banyan Tree on the outskirts and we wish to gift Him this Beautiful Lotus and get His Priceless Blessings".
Sucha then started moving away with his Lotus and everyone asked:
"Sucha! Where are you going?"
Sucha replied:
"To the Banyan Tree to place this lucky Lotus at the Holy Feet of Buddha".
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Chandamama Story, 1950s:
The King of Ujjain used to stand in his balcony, and watch Ramu (20) walk every morning from the Southern half of Ujjain towards its Northern half, with a garden hoe on his shoulder, and return back in the evening.
And he loved this lad for his work culture.
One morning however, the King found Ramu racing back South soon after his morning commute.
The King grew curious and ordered his PA to fetch Ramu to find out.
Ramu was flush with excitement and revealed:
"Raja! My dreams are fulfilled today. For more than a year I was in love with this beautiful maid, Janaki, but was afraid to ask her to marry me lest she decline to marry a poor gardener. But today I decided to try and she accepted my Proposal heartily just now."
The King asked Ramu: "Congratulations, but why are you flying home in a hurry breaking your irrevocable work schedule?"
Ramu replied shyly:
"Raja! With great discipline, I had saved half a gold mohur over the year and hid it behind a loose brick in a hole in the Southern Wall. I am running to fetch my life's hard-earned savings and gift them to Janaki as a token of my undying love for her."
The King was so pleased with Ramu that he ordered his PA to give Ramu 100 gold mohurs as his Royal Wedding Gift.
Ramu pocketed the 100 mohurs bowing and touching his beloved Raja's feet.
But as soon as Ramu was released, the King found him again racing towards his Southern Wall.
Ramu was brought back to the Presence of the King who this time ordered 1000 gold mohurs.
But the King found Ramu racing away again to his Southern Wall.
The King's auction instincts got aroused and he went on offering higher and higher bids to discover at what level Ramu would be pacified and desist from racing South and turn North to offer his Royal Gift to Janaki.
Finally, the King's instincts got the better of him and he said:
"Ramu, I will give you half my Kingdom if you stop racing South!".
Ramu said:
"Raja! Please give me the Southern Half!"
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True Story, Durga Pujas, October 2004:
My wife Rukmini and I were traveling in the Sleeper Compartment of the Coromandel Express to attend my cute Niece's Wedding at Madurai. So, my wallet was fairly full.
We were pleased to find a newly married couple right across our window seat. For, it reminded us of our own honeymoon trip 25 years ago.
As the train entered the Danger Zone between Tuni and Rajahmundry, we found as usual the familiar face of a Traveling Auctioneer touting his wares.
He first tried a leather bag and started his bid from ten rupees.
The young Bridegroom (BG) was rather excited and playful and bid twenty Rupees. But there were no takers and so the Auctioneer gifted BG a cute fountain pen.
BG and & his Bride (B) were smiling and laughing.
The next item on the menu was a suitcase and BG went on his bidding spree and got a gift of a plastic belt.
This went on....and on...
By then everyone was aroused from their slumber as the next item was a Synthetic Sari- Pant-Shirt-Piece Combo.
BG was still in his playful mood and to impress his B he started at 100 Rupees. There was another stranger from a far-off cabin whose bid was 200 Rupees. By now BG lost his balance and kept raising the bid to 1000 Rupees.
The other guy from the remote cabin stopped abruptly and the Auctioneer announced aloud: "Done!" and dumped the cheap (stolen?) Combo in the lap of B and asked quickly for his 1000 Rupees.
Everyone was smiling and laughing as B & BG turned pale.
BG said he doesn't want the Combo and is willing to return all the gift items he got.
The Auctioneer clapped and suddenly there were half a dozen men, all friends and conspirators of the Auctioneer, swooping on BG, practically attacking him till he fished out his wallet which had only 500 Rupees.
They snatched the currency notes and asked B to empty her handbag which had another 200 Rupees. They took them too and were asking B & BG to relieve themselves of their wrist watches and other ornaments.
By now there was a commotion and co-passengers were shouting for the Conductor (who went invisible) and then the Police.
The Coromandel Express halted at Rajahmundry and in a fraction of a second the entire gang got down and vanished!
Many co-passengers scolded the couple who were already in tears, some jeered, and a few quietly pooled their resources and gifted B & BG a handsome amount for their honeymoon.
It was a gruesome lesson for all....
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Last Laugh
There was this absolutely fictitious and malicious and outrageous story that Culbertson, the Founding Father of Contract Bridge, divorced his wife when she got excited and started and closed the bidding with a Grand Slam of 7 No Trumps with a Full Suit of Clubs!
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