Mihir and Mahadev lived in  the same village. While Mahadev  owned the largest shop in the village. Mihir was a poor farmer. Both had large families, with many sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. One day, Mihir, tired of  not being able to make ends meet, decided to leave the village and move to the city where they were sure to make enough to feed everyone. They said their goodbyes, packed their few belongings and set off. When night fell, they stopped under a large tree. There was a stream running nearby, where they cold refresh themselves. Mihir told his sons to clear the area below the tree. He told his wife to fetch water. He instructed his dauthter-in-law to make up the fire and started cutting wood from the tree himself. Now, in that branches of the tree sat a thief. He watched as Mihir's family worked together. He also noticed they had nothing to cook. Mihir's wife too thought the same, for she said to her husband, "Everything is ready. But what shall we eat ?" Mihir raised his hands to heaven and said, "Don't worry. He is watching all this from above. He will help us."

The thief was worried. He had seen that the family was large and worked well together. Surely  they did not know he was hiding in the branches ? He decided to make a quick getaway. He climbed down swiftly when they were not looking and ran for his life. But, he left behind his bundle of stolen jewels and money, which dropped down into Mihir's lap. He opened it and jumped with joy when he saw the contents. The family properly gathered its belongings and returned to the village. There was great excitement when they told everyone how they got rich.

Mahadev thought this was a nice quick way to earn some money! He commanded his family to pack some clothes and they set off as if on a journey. They stopped under the same tree and Mahadev started commanding everyone as Mihir had done. But no one in his family was willing to obey orders. They were used to having servants wait on them - so the one who went to the river to fetch water had a nice bath. The one who went to gather wood for the fire went off to sleep beneath the tree. And Mahadev only ordered every-one about, not conversation that they had rehearsed carefully. Mahadev's wife said, "Everything is ready. But what shall we eat ?" Mahadev raised his hands upwards and said, "Don't worry. He is watching all this from above. He will help us".

At this the thief jumped down from the tree, knife in hand. Seeing him, everyone started running helter skelter to save themselves. The thief stole everything. Mahadev and his family had to return to the village empty handed, having lost all the jewellery and gold they had taken with them.