Question

In a village in the East, there lived an old couple. They did not have any children and never spent an extra paisa on themselves. They never repaired their house or cooked good food. One day, a family moved into the village. It was their son's second birthday and they sent two delicious laddoos to the old couple. The couple ate the laddoos with great relish. For days after they could talk of nothing else. Finally, the old man could take it no more. He said to his wife, “Let's buy the ingredients to make just two laddoos”. His wife agreed but said, “If I make the laddoos at home, the neighbours will know and will want a share. Let's cook in the woods behind our hut. That way no one will ever know”.       The next day the old man purchased the ingredients from the market and they set off to the woods. Having never prepared food like this before, they ended up with three laddoos instead of two. The old couple returned home with the sweets, dying to eat them. But there was a problem. “It was my idea and I went to the market, so I ought to get two,” said the old man. But his wife refused to give in so easily and said, “Since I prepared the sweets, I ought to have two,” The day wore on and the argument continued.       At last, the old man suggested, “Let us not talk to each other. Whoever breaks the silence first will get one laddoo and the other person two”. His wife agreed. Hours passed, but neither of them spoke and finally, they fell asleep with the bowl of sweets between them. That evening one of the neighbours knocked on the door but the couple did not answer for fear of losing the bet. Peering through the window, the man saw the couple lying on the floor with an untouched bowl of food. “They are dead!” He shouted and alerted the other villagers. Soon the door was broken down and the house was swarming with villagers. They discussed everything from the funeral to where the couple had hidden their wealth. But the couple lay still.      Finally, the villagers carried them to the cremation ground. As the flames licked his feet, the old man jumped up screaming "You win!" His wife jumped up too, happy that she had won. The two then rushed home leaving the bewildered villagers present there behind. But when they got home... Alas, the door had been left open and they found a stray dog licking the last crumbs of the sweets from the bowl.

What puzzled the villagers?

Options

• The old couple did not die in the fire.

• The sight of the old couple whom they had presumed dead, alive.

• The fact that the old couple had wasted good food.

• The lack of concern the old woman had for her husband.

Answer 1

The sight of the old couple whom they had presumed dead, alive.