But why do you
recoil? Ah yes, this beggar is a particularly unfortunate fellow. One can only
wonder what series of accidents could have left him so thoroughly disfigured.
He draws close to you because you are a foreigner. Will you give him something?
No? Very wise; one ought not to encourage beggars, and yes, you are right, it
is far better to donate to charities that address the causes of poverty rather
than to him, a creature who is merely its symptom. What am I doing? I am
handing him a few rupees—misguidedly, of course, and out of habit. There, he
offers us his prayers for our well-being; now he is on his way.
