This story from R. K. Narayan is a humorous account of the protagonist (Muri)’s trials and tribulations in a remote Indian village. Its major theme is culture clash (the villagers’ deep spirituality and acceptance of their lot vs. an American’s “money is everything” attitude). Other themes include miscommunication (and how it can sometimes pay off handsomely), change (younger villagers’ loss of appreciation of their cultural heritage, as symbolized by their indifference towards the statue), chauvinism (both men are extremely patronizing towards their wives), and archaeological looting (the American must surely recognize that the statue is of spiritual and/or historical significance!).
Original Text / PDF (7,000 words)
Video Version
This excellent TV version of the story has the characters speaking in their original language, but with English captions. To get a feel for how the American would have felt, try viewing that part of the video with the captions turned off. Watch and enjoy!