A Stupid Man’s Prejudice

Once upon a time, a man was returning home from abroad after many years. On his way home, he decided to stop at a reputed goldsmith’s shop to buy gold ornaments for his beloved wife. He bought beautiful gold earrings and a chain.

Man’s wife was overjoyed to see the gifts. Next day she decided to find out if both the gifts were really made of gold. She held the ornaments over a fire. To her shock she found that the beds with which they were looking stunning started to melt. She discovered that the ornaments were not made of gold but of lac. Her husband was shocked to know that he had been cheated. Coming in rage, he threw the half-melted ornaments into a nearby well. He remained in a very upset for several days.

After fifteen day from the incident, he became curious about their cow. The cow was acquired by his wife when he was on his trip to abroad. He questioned his wife whether she had bought it at the yearly cattle fair. “No”, she replied. “I purchased it from Sheth Zavarilal, the goldsmith.” Husband’s mood changed and became anger. “From a goldsmith,” he screamed. “Then even you have been cheated, my loving wife. The cow may be made of luck!” “There are honest goldsmiths too,” smiled his rife. She further explained that the cow was also giving milk and that a lac cow would not have given. Husband warned her not be fooled by the milk. He kept on insisting that the cow was made of lac.

The woman, at first, thought that the husband vas fooling her. However, later she realized that he was actually serious. He really believed that the cow vas made of lac. The more she tried to convince him that the cow was real, the more certain he became that it was not. Finally, the wife decided to make a small cut with a knife on the cow’s back. “Look, my stupid dear husband,” she said proudly. “It bleeds. Would a lac cow bleed?”

Still husband was not totally convinced. “Certainly it would bleed if it was passed through Zavarilal’s hands”, he said in irritation. For several months, he continued to believe that the animal was made of lac even when it gave birth to a calf. When his wife showed him the young one, still he commented, “Probably made of lac too.”

One day the cow died. “The cow has served us well. Let us give it a decent burial.” “No ways”, said her husband. Still he was not ready to accept that the animal was real, and not made from lac. Finally, he dragged the dead cow to the river and threw it into the water, as he had done with the ornaments.