Tit for Tat
Also known as Jaise Ko Taisa
- 3 minute read
- Ages 7-11
- Panchatantra Stories
A merchant named Jeernadhana once lost all his money. His shop failed, his goods were sold, and in the end the only thing of value he owned was a set of iron scales, very heavy and very old, which had belonged to his father.
He decided to leave the city and seek his fortune elsewhere. But he could not carry the scales with him.
So he went to a rich merchant he knew and asked him to keep the scales safe until he returned. The rich merchant agreed at once, smiling, and put them away.
The return
Years later Jeernadhana came home. He had done well enough. He went to the rich merchant's house and asked politely for his scales back.
The rich merchant's face fell into a look of great sorrow.
"My friend," he said, "I am so sorry. I kept them carefully in my storeroom. But mice got in, and mice will eat anything, and they ate your scales. There is nothing left of them."
Jeernadhana looked at him for a long moment.
"Mice ate a set of iron scales," he said.
"Iron is no protection against mice," said the rich merchant sadly. "None at all."
"Well," said Jeernadhana. "That is nobody's fault. Let us think no more about it."
The rich merchant was delighted. He had expected an argument.
The favour
"Since I am here," Jeernadhana went on, "may I ask one small thing? I am going to the river to bathe. Would you send your son with me to carry my clothes?"
The rich merchant, feeling generous and relieved, called his son at once and told him to go.
The boy went down to the river with Jeernadhana. When they got there, Jeernadhana led him instead to a cave in the hillside, put him inside, rolled a heavy stone across the mouth of it, and walked back to the city alone.
Where is my son?
"Where is my son?" cried the rich merchant.
"Ah," said Jeernadhana. "A terrible thing. As we walked by the river a hawk swooped down out of the sky, seized him, and carried him away."
"That is impossible!" shouted the merchant. "A hawk cannot carry off a boy!"
"In a land where mice eat iron scales," said Jeernadhana, "a hawk can certainly carry off a boy."
The merchant understood.
They went together before the judges of the city, and the whole story came out, and the judges told the rich merchant to return the scales.
He returned them. And Jeernadhana rolled back the stone and gave the boy to his father, unharmed.
Moral of the story
Cheat someone and you invite the same treatment back. Trickery is best answered by showing the cheat exactly what his own lie looks like.
Questions and answers
- Why did Jeernadhana leave the iron scales with the rich merchant?
He had lost all his money and was leaving the city to look for work. The scales were too heavy to carry, so he asked a friend to keep them safe.
- What excuse did the rich merchant give for not returning the scales?
He claimed that mice had got into his storeroom and eaten the iron scales completely.
- Why did Jeernadhana pretend to accept the excuse?
He knew that arguing would get him nowhere, so he pretended to believe it while planning a way to prove the lie.
- What did Jeernadhana do with the merchant's son?
He hid him safely inside a cave and blocked the entrance with a heavy stone, then told the father a hawk had carried the boy away.
- How did the story end?
The judges heard the case, the truth came out, the merchant returned the scales, and Jeernadhana returned the boy unharmed.
Word meanings
- scales
- A weighing instrument used by merchants to measure goods.
- merchant
- A person who buys and sells goods for a living.
- swooped
- Flew down suddenly and quickly from above.
- trickery
- The use of clever lies or tricks to fool someone.
Questions about Tit for Tat
What is the moral of Tit for Tat?
The moral is that someone who cheats you should be answered in a way that makes them see their own dishonesty. Jeernadhana did not steal or hurt anyone, but he made the lie impossible to defend.
What is Tit for Tat called in Hindi?
It is known as Jaise Ko Taisa, which means 'as you do, so you get'.
Was the merchant's son harmed in the story?
No. Jeernadhana hid the boy safely in a cave and returned him completely unharmed once the scales were given back.
What does the phrase 'tit for tat' mean?
It means giving back the same treatment you received, especially in reply to something unfair.