Sheikh Chilli's mother was deeply troubled by his idleness at home. One day, she conceived the idea of sending him out to trade, to earn some income and keep him from being unproductive. With this goal in mind, she took her accumulated savings and bought a bale of velvet cloth from the market. After purchasing the cloth, she instructed Sheikh Chilli to sell it in the city's main market. She gave him specific instructions to ask for only two paise more than the actual price of the bale.
Arriving at the bustling city market, he placed the bale of cloth in a prominent spot and waited for a customer. After some time, a man approached him and inquired about the price. The foolish Sheikh Chilli, remembering his mother's instructions, replied, "What is the price, sir? Please offer two paise more than the actual value." The man, recognizing his foolishness, immediately took four paise from his pocket and placed them on the bale. Sheikh Chilli readily accepted the money and sold the cloth, then headed home.
On his way back, Sheikh Chilli noticed a man selling large watermelons. Having never seen one before, he was intrigued and asked the vendor, "What is this?" The fruit seller, quickly deducing that he was dealing with a simpleton, decided to play along. He told Sheikh Chilli that it was an elephant's egg. Impressed, Sheikh Chilli paid two paise for the watermelon, despite its actual price being one paisa.
Sheikh Chilli began imagining that the watermelon contained an elephant calf, which he would sell for a substantial profit. Filled with this optimistic expectation, he continued happily towards home. Halfway there, however, his stomach suddenly rumbled. Finding himself in a deserted area, he placed the watermelon on a rock and headed to some nearby bushes to relieve himself. Suddenly, he saw a squirrel jump out from beside the watermelon. The watermelon fell from the rock, shattering on the ground. Sheikh Chilli, thinking that the squirrel was the elephant calf, ran towards it.
However, the squirrel had already escaped. Sheikh Chilli dejectedly continued on his way home, his stomach growling with hunger. He stopped at a sweet shop and bought some samosas. As soon as he took a bite, a dog barked in front of him. Thinking the dog was hungry, he offered it the remaining samosas. The dog swiftly devoured the entire samosa, and Sheikh Chilli, still hungry, trudged home.
Upon reaching home, Sheikh Chilli discovered his mother was absent. He recounted his entire day's adventures to his wife, ending with the tale of the lost elephant calf. His wife was furious, scolding him for his carelessness. She imagined the possibilities of riding the elephant calf had he not lost it. They were arguing when Sheikh Chilli's mother returned. Witnessing the dispute, she inquired about the commotion. Sheikh Chilli described his purchase of the velvet cloth, the elephant's egg (watermelon), and the subsequent misfortunes.
His mother, deeply angered by his foolishness, sent him away from the house. Outraged and ashamed, Sheikh Chilli walked toward the sweet shop where he had bought the samosas. He saw the dog, and his anger flared. He dashed toward the dog, chasing it into an open doorway of a nearby house. The dog darted into the house and disappeared inside. Sheikh Chilli entered the house as well. The dog escaped through a wall, and Sheikh Chilli, searching, found himself in a room belonging to the house's mistress. The room contained a small open chest filled with jewelry. Sheikh Chilli collected the jewelry, wrapping it in a cloth and fled without hesitation.
Sheikh Chilli hurried home, presenting the stolen jewelry to his mother. Sheikh Chilli's mother, delighted by the jewelry, buried it in a pit in the courtyard. Fully aware of her son's foolishness, she devised a plan to prevent any suspicion. She had a servant bring a sack of rice and sweets from the market. Later that night, as Sheikh Chilli slept, she scattered the rice and sweets throughout the courtyard.
Meanwhile, the mistress of the house, whose jewelry had been stolen, reported the incident to the city magistrate. The magistrate and the mistress arrived at Sheikh Chilli's home. The magistrate questioned Sheikh Chilli, who confessed to stealing the jewelry. He recounted how he had chased the dog, entered the house, and taken the jewelry, before his mother buried the stolen goods and scattered rice and sweets in the courtyard. The magistrate, believing Sheikh Chilli was simply foolish, left without further investigation.
Sheikh Chilli's mother, through her cunning, had successfully prevented any consequences. She then sold the jewelry gradually over time to support the family.
Two lessons emerge from this tale: First, we should never blindly follow someone else's instructions. Second, clever thinking can resolve any problem.
