The Criterion for Religions — Page 21
21 rich, try to cheat him with their bragging. After talk- ing a while of this and that, they begin to criticize earlier alchemists, calling them liars and scoundrels and swindlers. They go on in this manner and finally say, 'Gentleman! during the course of fifty or sixty years of my life every claimant to alchemy that I have come across was a liar, but my late mentor was a genuine alchemist. He gave away tens of millions of rupees in charity, and I was lucky to have served him for twelve years and was duly rewarded. ' On hearing of 'reward' an ignoramus blurts out: 'In that case, old man, you must have learnt the formula of alchemy from your mentor. ' At this the old man frowns and says a little angrily, 'Shut up, young man, or else thousands will gather around me; I am trying to hide from the people. ' The ignorant are easily taken in by these few remarks. The game is thus ensnared and ready for slaughter. He takes the victim aside and tells him in a secretive manner, 'It is only your good for- tune that has brought me here across thousands of miles. I myself cannot understand why this hard heart of mine has softened for you. Now, hurry up! Go home and fetch gold jewellery worth ten thousand ru- pees, your own or borrowed, and it will multiply ten fold overnight. But, beware, don't let anyone know about me. Make some other excuse for it. ' The long and short of it is that after getting hold of the jewel-