Once, a moneylender became the neighbour of a tanner. The tanner would spend the whole day converting hide into leather by treating it with tannin. The moneylender did not like the smell of the tannin. One day, he decided to buy the tanner’s house so that he might not have to bear the unpleasant smell. The tanner heard him and said, “Will you give me a month’s time to pack up my stuff?” The moneylender agreed. He waited impatiently for the month to finish. But gradually, the moneylender stopped counting the days. He slowly got used to the smell. One day, the moneylender asked the tanner “What have you done to drive away that awful smell? Did you dilute the solution?” The tanner simply smiled. He was just waiting for the day when the moneylender would get used to the smell. This was the reason why he had made the moneylender wait in the first place.
The Clever Tanner
