The clever old man (Part 4)

Part 4 of 4
Go to part 3
Just then a shepherd happened to reach near the bundle. He opened the bundle and was surprised
see the old man inside the bundle. He asked him who had tied and packed him like that. The old man replied, "There are 4 young men who want me to marry their sister. Since I do not want to get married at this age, they have tied and packed me to carry to their place. There I will be forced to marry the girl."
The shepherd was unmarried and very keen to get married. He said, "Baba, let me get married to the girl."
The old man said, "All right, you just lie down on this sheet and let me pack you inside this. You will get married today itself."
Then the old man packed the man in the sheet and put the bundle aside. Thereafter, he collected his
goats and proceeded towards his house with the flock. It was dark in the evening, when the thugs
returned to pick the bundle. The shepherd heard them and spoke, "I am ready to get married."
The thugs did not pay attention to what he said and lifted him. Soon, he was dropped in the well.
The thugs were returning to the village when they came across the old man with the flock of goats. The thugs became awestruck to think that this was the ghost of the old man. They wanted to flee but the old man stopped them, "Wait a minute, you fools. I am not a ghost. Listen to me. You had dropped me tied in the sheet, that is why I could not manage to get anything but these goats. The well, you know, is full of gold bricks."
The thugs could not resist the greed. They jumped into the well to possess the gold lying in it and died instantly.
Thus the old man succeeded to manage for a secured old age. The villagers too got rid of the rogues for good.
End of the story