The Mysterious Brass Compass (1030 words)

  

 Ramiah, a wealthy brass merchant in Kumbakonam, lived in a spacious bungalow set on a vast plot of land in the outskirts. He lived a peaceful life with his wife and two sons.

Once, during a pilgrimage to Benares, he visited an antique shop and noticed a beautifully crafted circular brass compass with a needle at its centre.

“Ah, that’s a fine piece,” Ramiah said, lifting it carefully. “How much does it cost?”

The shopkeeper shook his head. “Sir, it’s defective. The needle does not point north or south. It’s of no use.”

Ramiah examined it closely. “Defective or not, it’s beautiful. I’ll take it.”

The shopkeeper smiled. “Very well, sir. Since you’ve purchased so much already, you may have it free.”

Back home, Ramiah placed the compass on his table in his room at the shop as a decorative piece. The needle constantly oscillated and never settled in the proper direction. One day, a woman who had earlier purchased a vessel and had visited his room returned, distressed.

“Sir,” she said anxiously, “I think I lost the tiny screw from my diamond earring here. It must have fallen on the floor.”

“Don’t worry,” Ramiah replied kindly. “We’ll search for it.”

They searched the floor and the surrounding area thoroughly, but the screw could not be found.

Just then, Ramiah noticed something unusual. “Strange… the needle has stopped,” he murmured. “Look, it’s pointing toward the almirah.”

They moved the wooden almirah aside, and to everyone’s astonishment, the missing screw lay beneath it. As soon as the screw was picked up, the needle resumed its restless oscillation.

Another incident soon followed. One morning, the supervisor approached Ramiah with concern. “Sir, the ornate bell from the shop is missing.”

“Bring the employee in charge of that area here,” Ramiah said calmly.

When the employee was questioned, he replied firmly, “I know nothing about it, sir. I have not taken anything.”

When Ramiah placed the compass on the table facing the supervisor and the employee, the needle oscillated rapidly, then turned and pointed straight at the man and stopped.

Ramiah said softly, “Do you see this? The compass is pointing at you.”

“That means nothing! The supervisor is also standing with me,” the employee protested nervously.

Ramiah asked the employee to move to a corner, but did not change the position of the compass. The employee moved, and instantly the needle turned again and pointed at him.

Ramiah’s voice hardened. “Shall I call the police?”

The man’s face turned pale. “No, sir! I confess. I took the bell. I’m sorry.”

From these incidents, Ramiah concluded that the compass had a miraculous power to identify lost objects and expose falsehood.

He confided this secret to his close friend and former schoolmate, the postmaster.

“This is extraordinary,” the postmaster said in amazement. “But what good is it if the compass remains in your room, where only a few people come? “Let it stay on my table at the post office,” the postmaster said. “Hundreds of people visit daily. It could help many for free.”

Ramiah smiled. “You are right. Take it.”

Soon, its power became widely known. One day, a young girl cried, “Uncle, I’ve lost my anklet!” Another day, a boy said tearfully, “Sir, I’ve misplaced my exam hall ticket!” A worried farmer once pleaded, “My land deed is missing and without it, I am ruined.”

Each time, the compass led them to their lost belongings.

In the centre of Ramiah’s land stood a large mango tree that bore fruit abundantly each season. He gave most of the harvest to his servants, the nearby temple, and the municipal school, keeping only a small portion for his family.

In his old age, he called his sons and said, “My time is passing. I am handing over the business to you. Take good care.”

He built two identical bungalows on either side of the mango tree, one for each son, with the tree serving as a natural boundary.

One evening, Ramiah spoke to the postmaster. “I want my sons to continue giving the mangoes as I have done.”

“That is wise,” the postmaster said. “Why not leave written instructions for them? Send it to the post office. I will deliver at the appropriate time”

Ramiah agreed and wrote identical letters to both sons, instructing that after his death, 20% of the harvest be retained for personal use (including friends, relatives, and servants), and 40% each be donated to the temple and the municipal school.

He informed his sons about the arrangement and also spoke privately to the temple trustee and the school headmaster.

After Ramiah’s death, the sons approached the postmaster and made a deal with him for a consideration that the letters would not be delivered.

Soon afterwards, the postmaster suffered a stroke that left him paralysed and unable to speak. A young woman took charge of the post office.

When the mango season began, and the tree was awash with mangoes, the sons stopped the charitable distribution and began selling the mangoes for profit. When the temple trustee and the school authorities approached the sons, they denied any knowledge of any letter from their father.

When the temple trustee and school authorities approached and apprised the young postmaster, she said kindly, “I will do my best to help you.”

As she looked around the office, her eyes fell on the ancient brass compass. This must be the compass everyone talks about, she thought

She picked it up and said aloud, “If there are letters from Ramiah remaining undelivered here, please show me.”

The needle promptly moved and pointed toward an old steel trunk in the corner hidden behind a gunny sack

Inside the trunk, she found the undelivered letters. The police and the school’s lawyer were present when the trunk was opened in front of the two sons.

“These are your father’s letters,” the lawyer said firmly.

The sons looked stunned. “We… we did not know about these,” one said weakly. “We promise,” the other added quickly, “that we will follow our father’s instructions in full.”

Thus, truth prevailed, and Ramiah’s generosity lived on, guided even after his death by the mysterious brass compass.