Why the sun shines in England²

Once an English officer came to an Indian village. This particular village was fortunate to have a few well-educated people, some of whom knew English quite well. One day, when the English officer had come to visit the village chief, two men came to the chief to make complaints against each other.

The first man said, “Sir, I bought a plot of land from this man, and I was cultivating it to grow paddies. While digging, I came across some gold coins buried in the ground.”

The chief asked, “So what is the problem, then?”

The man continued, “I am telling him to take the gold coins, because they don’t belong to me. I bought the land only, but I didn’t buy the gold coins.”

The second man spoke up. “Sir, how can I take the gold coins. When I sold him the land, whatever was inside it became his. The gold coins belong to him, so I can’t take them. If I take them, it will be all deception.”

The first one said the same. “If I take the coins, sir, it will be all deception on my part, since I didn’t pay for the gold coins.”

In this way both of them were arguing in front of the chief. The chief finally said, “Your argument will never come to an end.”

Both of the parties asked, “Chief, then do you have a solution?”

“Yes,” replied the chief. To the first man the chief said, “Do you have a son?”

“Yes,” replied the man.

“And do you have a daughter?” the chief asked the second man.

“Yes, I do,” answered the second one.

“Then,” declared the chief, “it is very easy. I am giving the gold coins to you for your daughter. Your daughter and his son will get married. Then, as a dowry your daughter will bring the money to her husband’s home. There very happily they will live.”

Both men thanked the chief deeply, “O Chief, your wisdom has saved us. We shall definitely listen to your advice.”

The Englishman was observing the whole scene. When the two men left, he said to the chief, “I am so surprised to find these kinds of people on earth, especially in India. How can such saintly people live in India?”

The chief said, “It is quite possible. Here people are sincere. They don’t know any other way to act; for them, this kind of nobility and sincerity is the only way. What would you have done if this had happened in England?”

The Englishman replied, “I would have given them each a smart slap and taken away the gold coins, saying that they belonged to the government.”

The chief was silent for a moment. Then he asked the Englishman: “Does the sun shine in England?”

“Certainly,” answered the Englishman.

“Do you have the moon?” the chief asked.

“Certainly,” the Englishman replied again.

“Do you have stars?”

“Certainly.”

“Do you have rain and water?”

“Certainly.”

“Do you have animals and birds?”

“Yes, of course.”

The chief jumped to his feet. “Ah, now I understand! God has given England the sun, moon, stars and water, not for Englishmen, but for the innocent birds and animals that live there. God certainly would not have given the sun, moon, stars and water to you people.”

The Englishman got the point.