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Mahmood says, ‘Are these tongs some kind of toy?’

‘Why not?’ retorts Hamid. ‘Place them across your shoulders and it is a gun; wield them
in your hands and it is like the tongs carried by singing mendicants—they can make the
same clanging as a pair of cymbals. One smack and they will reduce all your toys to dust.

And much as your toys may try they could not bend a hair on the head of my tongs. My
tongs are like a brave tiger.’

Sammi who had bought a small tambourine asks, ‘Will you exchange them for my
tambourine? It is worth eight pice.’

Hamid pretends not to look at the tambourine. ‘My tongs, if they wanted to, could tear out
the bowels of your tambourine. All it has is a leather skin and all it can say is dhub, dhub.
A drop of water could silence it forever. My brave pair of tongs can weather water and
storms, without budging an inch.’

The pair of tongs wins over everyone to its side. But now no one has any money left and

the fairground has been left far behind. It is well past 9 a.m. and the sun is getting hotter
every minute. Everyone is in a hurry to get home. Even if they talked their fathers into it,
they could not get the tongs. This Hamid is a bit of a rascal. He saved up his money for the
tongs.

The others have spent between twelve to sixteen pice each and bought nothing
worthwhile. Hamid’s three-pice worth has carried the day. And no one can deny that toys

are unreliable things: they break, while Hamid’s tongs will remain as they are for years.
The boys begin to make terms of peace. Mohsin says, ‘Give me your tongs for a while, you

can have my water-carrier for the same time.’

Both Mahmood and Noorey similarly offer their toys. Hamid has no hesitation in
agreeing to these terms. The tongs pass from one hand to another; and the toys are in turn
handed to Hamid. How lovely they are!

Hamid tries to wipe the tears of his defeated adversaries. ‘I was simply pulling your leg,
honestly I was. How can these tongs made of iron compare with your toys?’

Mohsin says, ‘No one will bless us for these toys.’

Mahmood adds, ‘You talk of blessings! We may get a thrashing
instead. My Amma is bound to say, “Are these earthen toys all Do you think

that you could find at the fair?”’ Mahmood is right
about Hamid’s intention?
Hamid has to concede that no mother will be as pleased with Why?
Just a Minute!
the toys as his granny will be when she sees the tongs. All he
had was three pice and he has no reason to regret the way he
has spent them. And now his tongs are the Champion of India adversaries: opponents
concede: admit or agree
and king of toys.

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