Which bank has more money?

The name of our bank was Griha Lakshmi, meaning "House of Lakshmi." Adjacent to our bank was another bank called Mahalakshmi, which belonged to someone else. Whenever I sat behind the messenger on his bicycle while he took letters for delivery, I would always ask him which bank had more money: our bank or Mahalakshmi. His answer would depend on his mood. On the days that he said our bank had more money, I would be so overjoyed that I would give him candy. But when he said that ours had less, I used to become so sad that I would give him nothing. Quite a few times he told me very seriously that our bank really did not have as much money as Mahalakshmi.

Once I asked my father if this were true. My father said, "No! We have more money. He is just a clerk. What does he know?" I was so happy to hear that.

My brother, who also worked at the bank, overheard our conversation, and he was very amused. Then another clerk came over and said, "It is good to say that we have less money. Then there will be no robberies!"

My father said, "All right, if you feel that way, we will be happy to say that. But I wish to tell you that we really do have more money. I am not saying this just to console my son."

After that day I believed my father and was so proud that our bank had more money.