080 - The cane of conscience

The story is from the life of Gandhiji... not the Gandhiji whom we see in pictures, but Gandhiji as a little boy, like many of you. At that time, Mohan as he was called, was hardly a saint. He was as naughty as children generally are, as mischievous as many of you.

Once he happened to do something bad, really bad. He stole a bit of gold and even lied about it. When his father heard this, he called him. "Mohan," he said. "I know what you have done!" Mohan merely nodded. He dared not even look up.

His father stood up. Slowly he walked to his cupboard. From within he pulled out a cane, a thin, mean-looking stick, the very sight of which sent Mohan into a fit of fear. Then his father rolled up the sleeve of his own kurta. Lifting the cane up with his right hand, he sent it wishing down right accross his own arm.

Mohan cried aloud, "Papa, don't beat yourself !" "I have to Mohan," he replied. "After all it is my fault. Had I brought you up well, surely you would not have committed this mistake. So let me take the punishment!" It was a lesson well taught. A lesson well learnt. For, decades later, Gandhiji, the leader of the nation, remembered this, more vividly than anything else he had every learnt...

source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html