The Greedy Milkman Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

There was a village milkman,
Selling milk in the nearby town.
Pot for Pot and cup for cup,
Milk and water, he mixed up.

All his customers complained,
That his action was unjustified,
And paid their dues monthly,
With a grumble, but promptly.

His cash bag full of coins,
He carried homeward once.
There was some eatable inside,
Thought a monkey, stupid.

Up on a tree, the bag, it took,
What was inside, just to look,
But saw those coins, useless,
And not its desired juicy fruits.

Right side, on the river,
It threw a coin, silver,
And left side, on the land,
Another coin, it dropped.

The helpless greedy milkman
Picked up coins, one by one,
That, by chance, fell on the land,
And got the one-half in his hand.

At last, for the milk-part sold,
That much, the milkman gained,
The water-part went to the water,
What was thrown into the river.