While walking in a park, one morning, I found a Hundred Rupee note on one of the park benches. I picked it up, noted the number and took it home.

In the afternoon the plumber called on me to collect his bill. As I had no other moey at home, I settled his account with the Hundred Rupee note that I had found.

Later I came to know that the plumber paid the note to his milkman to settle his monthly account , who paid it to his tailor for the garments he had made.

The tailor in turn used the money to buy an old sewing machine, from a woman who lives in my neighbourhood. This woman incidentally, had borrowed Hundred Rupees from me sometime back to buy some household appliance. She, remembering that she owed me a Hundred Rupees, came and paid the debt.

I recognized the note as the one that I had found on the park bench, and on careful examination, I discovered that the note was counterfeit.

How much was lost in the whole transaction and by whom ?

My argument is that there need not be any money transaction at all as the people involved are in the payment of a circular type wherein the start and the end are one and the same.  Whether money involved is genuine or counterfeit, or even if no money is involved, there is always the cancellation because every one of them has to receive 100 as well as give 100, nullifying the transaction.

R.Kesavan.

Posted by R.Kesavan on 2004-11-24 14:17:59