Scene 3
(First citizen in his jewellery shop. Enter a customer. The customer begins looking at a beautiful ring.)CUSTOMER: How much does this ring cost?
FIRST CITIZEN: One hundred rupees.
CUSTOMER: One hundred rupees? Why, this could not weigh much more than a few cloves of garlic! Let me go next door to the grocery store and see the price of garlic.
(Exit customer. First citizen is beside himself with rage and despair. Customer returns.)
CUSTOMER: The price of garlic is one anna. Your ring certainly does not weigh as much as a whole bulb of garlic, but I will give you one anna for it. And I won’t make a report to the king against you for telling me the price was one hundred rupees. Here is one anna. Good bye.
(Customer snatches the ring and starts to leave. Jeweller begins shouting.)
CUSTOMER: If you shout I will stab you. You know it is the king’s order that everything be sold at the same price.
JEWELLER: I know it is the king’s order, but I refuse to sell a gold ring for one anna. It’s extremely valuable!
(Customer stabs the jeweller and runs. Jeweller starts shouting.)
JEWELLER: Help, help! Somebody save me! Thief! Thief! Arrest that man!
(Immediately from other shops people come in. The customer is caught and brought back in by the police.)
JEWELLER: That’s the man. He has stabbed me.
