Mother Shandilee's Bargain

A poor Brahman's wife had set out sesame grain to dry in the sun after hulling it with great effort, meaning to feed a guest that evening as her husband had asked.

While she was occupied elsewhere, a stray dog fouled the grain. She could not bear to throw away what had cost her so much labor, so she thought of a plan: she would offer to trade her hulled grain, unhulled portion for portion, with any neighbor willing to exchange.

She went from door to door calling her offer, and a housewife nearby — glad to save the work of hulling — gladly traded her own raw, unhulled sesame for Shandilee's hulled grain, unaware of what had happened to it.

When Shandilee's husband later learned of the trade, he did not scold her for the small deception. Instead he grew thoughtful and said only this: whenever Mother Shandilee strikes a bargain that seems to favor her a little too easily, you may be certain she has good reason in her mind.

The saying spread beyond that household, becoming a gentle warning: a bargain that looks effortlessly generous is rarely without a hidden story — it pays to wonder why the other side is so willing.