Once upon a time, there lived a trader named Nazoomi. He inherited his father’s business and set out for another city with his camel loaded with goods. All of a sudden, sand storms started and Nazoomi had to take shelter in an inn. He off-loaded goods and tied the camel outside. Tired, he quickly fell asleep. In the morning, he found that his camel and the load of goods were missing. He asked the innkeeper but he knew nothing. Nazoomi started running here and there looking for his camel. The roads were deserted but he kept running. At last, he met a traveller and asked him if he had seen a camel going that way. The traveller said, ‘No! I have not seen any camel, horse or donkey. But I think your camel is one-eyed.” Nazoomi caught hold of the traveller’s hand and requested, “You know that my camel is one-eyed. That means you have seen him.” The traveller replied, “I told you that I didn’t see your camel.”
The Search for Camel
Nazoomi who was almost sure that the traveller knew about his camel, started walking along with him. After some time the traveller said, “Brother! Don’t bother me. This road goes to the city. The thief must have gone this way. Walk ahead. You might catch the thief. I think your camel was loaded with sugar on one side.” Nazoomi was shocked. The traveller exactly knew what was loaded on the camel. Nazoomi asked, “What was on the other side?” “Maybe some grams,’’ the traveller replied. Now Nazoomi was assured that the traveller had seen his camel. They started arguing. The traveller pushed him aside and said, “Run! If you waste time, you might lose the camel.” After running for hours, Nazoomi saw a resting herd of camels. He saw some people resting under the trees. Nazoomi found his camel tied to a tree. The load of sugar and grains was also kept there.
Nazoomi shouted and asked who had brought his camel there. But none replied. He wanted to get the thief punished. But who could be the thief? He suspected the traveller. Either he was the thief himself or the member of the thieves’ gang. Nazoomi untied his camel and started walking back towards the inn to catch the traveller. He met him after walking for a while. The traveller asked Nazoomi if he had got his camel back. Nazoomi was furious. He grabbed the traveller, “You steal camels and then act innocent.” Nazoomi took him to the Quazi and complained about his stolen camel. He narrated the entire incident to the Quazi. The Quazi asked the traveller if he was the thief or the thief’s partner. The traveller calmly said, “Sir! I never saw the camel. How could I be the thief?” The Quazi, then, asked him if he had never seen the camel how he knew that it was one-eyed.
The Quazi further asked the traveller, “How do you know that it was loaded with sugar on one side and grains on the other side.” The traveller explained that he just used his intelligence. On the way he saw that the leaves and branches of the bushes on the right side of the road were uneaten. Only the bushes on the left side were grazed all the way. It was possible only if the animal had just one eye. And on the other side of the road, sugar had fallen. The ants and the flies were eating the sugar. Maybe a sack had a hole and the sugar was spilling from it. Similarly, on the other side, the birds were feeding on the foodgrains. Hence, he had guessed that some animal had travelled that road carrying loads of sugar and grains. The Quazi and Nazoomi were silent. Nazoomi asked for forgiveness and the Quazi praised the traveller’s intelligence.
