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The Merchant and the Thief: A Folktale of Godly Wisdom
A thief travels with a wealthy jewel merchant and tries and fails several times to uncover and steal his treasures, but in return the merchant offers the thief God's forgiveness and a life in Jesus Christ
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1999
About the author
Ravi Zacharias
258 books1,659 followersFrederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias was an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian evangelical minister and Christian apologist who founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). He was involved in Christian apologetics for a period spanning more than forty years, authoring more than thirty books. He also hosted the radio programs Let My People Think and Just Thinking. Zacharias belonged to the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), the Keswickian Christian denomination in which he was ordained as a minister. After his death, allegations of sexual harassment against him emerged, were investigated, and found to be true.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 12, 2018
I have to give the folktale itself one star, but I love the illustrations in this book so much. All the different gorgeous shades of red, green, and blue; the clean lines and open spaces, the beautiful Indian style. Visually, this book is just beautiful. I don't, however, care for the message, which seems to be that poor people should just think about God and not the fact that their children are hungry.
July 8, 2012
I personally didn't like this book, but I'm agnostic so this isn't a perspective I agree with or enjoy. Basically, Mohan is a pauper-turned-thief and his plan to steal Raj's jewels is fouled by Raj hiding the jewels cleverly. Okay, so far this is an interesting story. Then, out of nowhere, Raj tells Mohan that he needs to look to the treasure on the inside. At this point I'm thinking about Mohan's wife and children and his humble home. But apparently he should be looking to God. God will fix everything. He decided to steal, but now that he has accepted God's love, that's ok. I just can't get on board with "god will make it all okay" rather than "do good, be a good person, love your family, work hard" and everything will be ok. Just wished at least BOTH morals had been explored. Don't just say "great, now you love God and you're forgiven" say "God expects you to do great things and be a good person and care for your family and be happy and not expect something for nothing."
End rant.
This is definitely a book I would give to someone asking for a religious tale, however, because it is cleverly written and the illustrations are quite lovely.
End rant.
This is definitely a book I would give to someone asking for a religious tale, however, because it is cleverly written and the illustrations are quite lovely.
April 7, 2014
It's not bad. Your average teaching-story with an intended moral at the end. Fairly nice illustrations.
The title claims it's a folktale from India, but personally I can't find any info verifying this online. It doesn't seem to be a parable either. Not sure why the author feels the need to claim it's a folktale if it isn't. (Though if I'm wrong about this, feel free to let me know, and where you found the original story!)
The title claims it's a folktale from India, but personally I can't find any info verifying this online. It doesn't seem to be a parable either. Not sure why the author feels the need to claim it's a folktale if it isn't. (Though if I'm wrong about this, feel free to let me know, and where you found the original story!)
February 25, 2021
What a wonderful simple little book from Mr. Zacharias. The illustrations are beautifully understated, they compliment the story instead of taking it over. It is a lovely illustration of Christ's love that could be understood by anyone from age 5 to 105.
October 22, 2016
Well-written, and very cute/clever with a great message. :) I enjoyed it, and think it's a great kid's book. :)
July 7, 2020
Yes, this book is meant for children, but it has a beautiful message. I love this quote from it...”When we have our eyes on other people’s treasure, we cannot see how close we are to the greatest treasure there is.” Such a simple, yet powerful truth.
January 15, 2019
1/15/19 Read with Julia.
April 27, 2016
Ravi Zacharias. The Merchant and the Thief: A folktale From India. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI. 2012.
This folktale is a tale from India, but has been modified at the end of the story to teach a Christian perspective of God’s love and grace. Although this may be a tale which is told to teach elementary school-age children the value of honesty, the story can be read, as well as told, through adulthood.
The story, placed in a small unnamed town in India, tells of two men named Raj and Mohan. Raj is a wealthy jewel merchant, while Mohan is a poor fruit seller. Mohan begins to be jealous of the life of the rich and, little by little, begins to steal more things and short change his customers in order to make a little more. Before he knows it, he has become a thief. Mohan sells fruit to Raj’s home most days, he learns that each year Raj makes a journey to another town far away. Here is where Mohan hatches a plan to pretend to be a wealthier person and travel with Raj in order to steal the jewels he carries with him. Raj, however, being no fool, catches on to Mohan’s intentions, and each night as they stay together in the inns, Raj hides his jewels in a place that Mohan will never think to look. Finally one day, Raj confesses to Mohan that he knows of Mohan’s efforts to steal his jewels and reveals to him that he has been hiding his jewels under Mohan’s pillow each night. Raj shares a lesson with Mohan that, in keeping one’s eyes on other people’s treasure all the time, he misses the greatest treasure of all – the love of God, which is available to all. In this last section is where the story takes a decidedly Christian twist with a message about being rich on the inside through the love of Jesus Christ. Mohan returns to his family a changed man.
The author of this story is himself both Indian and a Christian. It seems clear that the author wishes to tell a story of his boyhood culture while at the same time teaching a modern lesson about the love of God. The book is illustrated with brightly colored art which shows us the story of the two men, but also reveals Indian architecture, clothing, culture, and life as well. It is a unique book which provides a uniquely cultural perspective, but also a Christian perspective which one would probably not expect when thinking about India of the past. I recommend it for its positive moral message, as well as good artwork and a cultural perspective.
This folktale is a tale from India, but has been modified at the end of the story to teach a Christian perspective of God’s love and grace. Although this may be a tale which is told to teach elementary school-age children the value of honesty, the story can be read, as well as told, through adulthood.
The story, placed in a small unnamed town in India, tells of two men named Raj and Mohan. Raj is a wealthy jewel merchant, while Mohan is a poor fruit seller. Mohan begins to be jealous of the life of the rich and, little by little, begins to steal more things and short change his customers in order to make a little more. Before he knows it, he has become a thief. Mohan sells fruit to Raj’s home most days, he learns that each year Raj makes a journey to another town far away. Here is where Mohan hatches a plan to pretend to be a wealthier person and travel with Raj in order to steal the jewels he carries with him. Raj, however, being no fool, catches on to Mohan’s intentions, and each night as they stay together in the inns, Raj hides his jewels in a place that Mohan will never think to look. Finally one day, Raj confesses to Mohan that he knows of Mohan’s efforts to steal his jewels and reveals to him that he has been hiding his jewels under Mohan’s pillow each night. Raj shares a lesson with Mohan that, in keeping one’s eyes on other people’s treasure all the time, he misses the greatest treasure of all – the love of God, which is available to all. In this last section is where the story takes a decidedly Christian twist with a message about being rich on the inside through the love of Jesus Christ. Mohan returns to his family a changed man.
The author of this story is himself both Indian and a Christian. It seems clear that the author wishes to tell a story of his boyhood culture while at the same time teaching a modern lesson about the love of God. The book is illustrated with brightly colored art which shows us the story of the two men, but also reveals Indian architecture, clothing, culture, and life as well. It is a unique book which provides a uniquely cultural perspective, but also a Christian perspective which one would probably not expect when thinking about India of the past. I recommend it for its positive moral message, as well as good artwork and a cultural perspective.
January 20, 2015
This really feels a bait-and-switch. Like another reviewer, I find no evidence of the "folktale from India" source. The book has a lot of positive things going for it - nice endpapers and illustrations (though a little too cartoonish at times), a good pace that draws the reader in, etc., but page 27 just hits you in the face from out of left field. It's not believable and creates a sense of the reader being cheated and manipulated. I have no problem at all with the message, but it's the setting and lead-in that don't allow it to work. I immediately wanted to find the Indian folktale, but no luck. This version just seems entirely inauthentic. Match the first half and the ending and you'd have a much more satisfying book. The Kirkus review of this mentions The Treasure as a better version of the same basic concept, and I'd have to agree.
January 21, 2012
I love this book for so many reasons. Not only does you child receive a cultural lesson from the pictures and some vocabulary and names, but also a valuable moral lesson almost straight from a parable. The images are vibrant and provide for the imagination. Both men are the average man in different economical places in life. While nobody is really a "bad" guy in this story lessons are learned and all can move forward. This is one of those stories that is fun to read and your child might not even realize they are learning lessons for life.
Typed on Kindle Fire.
Thanks to Zondervan for providing an ARC version for review.
Originally posted: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...
Typed on Kindle Fire.
Thanks to Zondervan for providing an ARC version for review.
Originally posted: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...
March 29, 2013
I have read this book and enjoyed it until the end. It took a leap to connect the treasure as being God's treasure... could have been introduced earlier to give weight to this thought. I would read it to others until the theif realized the treasure was so close to him and then change the ending... sorry, Ravi.
September 30, 2013
I had read this to my older kids a few times over the years. Just read it to my two younger boys. I did my best Ravi Zacharias accent while reading it, and they really liked it!
February 13, 2012
Read our review here:
http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com...
http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com...
April 26, 2012
Lovely art, an interesting story line with an ending that comes slightly out of left field at least it did for me.
March 2, 2013
A thief intent on the merchant's treasure finds more than he bargained for: a treasure untouchable by thieves.
August 23, 2018
I was NOT expecting that ending, but I loved it all the same!
April 11, 2018
Wow, what an unexpected find! I didn't realize this book was Christian based. It's told well, the illustrations are wonderfully colorful and the message is one you will most certainly want to read to your children!
Ages: 4 - 8
#geography #asia #india #christian
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
Ages: 4 - 8
#geography #asia #india #christian
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
April 15, 2026
In The Merchant and the Thief, Ravi Zacharias tells of Raj, a wealthy merchant, and Mohan, a poor man who envies him.
As they travel, Mohan searches every night for Raj’s hidden jewels, hoping to steal them. But Raj places the jewels under Mohan’s own pillow—so close, yet never found.
Like Mohan, people search everywhere for meaning and riches but the real treasure is already near: God’s gift of salvation.
As they travel, Mohan searches every night for Raj’s hidden jewels, hoping to steal them. But Raj places the jewels under Mohan’s own pillow—so close, yet never found.
Like Mohan, people search everywhere for meaning and riches but the real treasure is already near: God’s gift of salvation.
October 29, 2020
It's under J fiction but I think it belongs under Picture Books for Older Readers.
The story it good but the ending seems rushed.
The story it good but the ending seems rushed.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews