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An old farmer happened to be too much of a fatalist. Whenever he was in trouble or distress he would sit in meditation and pray for hours invoking god’s grace. One day he was driving his bullock-cart to the market. Rain had fallen and the way was muddy. The cart got stuck in the mud. Without exerting in the least, the farmer retired to the hanuman temple nearby and prayed vociferously for help.

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The god hanuman appeared to him and beckoned to him to follow. When they came near the cart the god asked the farmer to put his shoulder to the wheel, while he himself would land a hand from behind. It was something strange and unusual for the farmer but the god had to obey. So he bent low and began to strain at the wheel with all his strength, the god all the time shouting ‘yes, yes, and my boy one more pull, one more tug’. The farmer strained himself to the sticking point and began to perspire profusely. The shouts of the god suddenly ceased and lo and behold! The bullock-cart was out the mud.

The farmer looked towards the god to thank him for his help but there was no god to be seen. Just at the time a voice from the void was heard, ‘My good man! Why do you thank me? Thank yourself I did nothing. It was entirely your doing. So long as you gave yourself up to prayers, success was always uncertain. Have faith in god! But keep your powder dry.’ the voice ceased. The farmer‘s face flushed with a new glow. He was new a wiser and stronger man. The god had spoken to him, and he decided to make this advice the guiding-principle of his life.