Even the Derelicts Take Books

[Vijaya Baladeva das]

Some time back I was sitting behind a book table in Sydney. Not so
many
people were checking out the table, but by Krsna's grace I was
stopping
a few and some books were going out. Then a derelict stopped and
started
looking at the books. He asked how much the hardback Bhagavad-gita
was.
When I told him, he walked away, and I didn't think I'd see him again.
But he soon returned, and after perusing the books he miraculously
pulled out a fifty-dollar bill for the Gita and told me to keep the
change! So I gave him an Ever Well-Wisher, a Krsna book, and an SSR as
well.

Later that day I moved to the next suburb and set up. I usually try to
have some prasadam to give out -- either bliss balls, nuts and
raisins,
or halava. This time I had a pot of halava. Another derelict came by
(a
bit intoxicated) and asked me to give him a free book since he had no
money. He told me how previously I had given him an Ever Well-Wisher
for
a small donation and he was in the middle of reading it -- but he had
lost it. So he just grabbed an Ever Well-Wisher off the table and
started walking away. I told him he couldn't take it for free but if
he
came back with some change I would give it to him.

After some time he came back stating he still had no money and took
the
same book off the table. I said, "Listen, I can't give you the book,
but
take some halava." He loved the halava, consuming about six cups! Just
then an Indian gentleman stopped and showed a lot of interest. He
ended
up buying some books and Krsna posters for a big donation. I told him
this other guy really wanted a book but had no money. I asked him if
he
could throw in some extra change for the other guy. He was glad to do
that, he said, and he pulled out a handful of coins and dropped them
into the donation bucket. Then the derelict happily walked away with
the
Ever Well-Wisher, intoxicated on Krsna prasadam!

Your servant
Rupa Raghunatha das
Australia