The Gold Frame by R. K. Laxman

Introduction

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman (24 October 1921 – 26 January 2015) was an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist. He is best known for his creation The Common Man and for his daily cartoon strip, You Said It in The Times of India, which started in 1951.

Laxman's cartoons were widely popular in India, and he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1968 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2005 for his contributions to art and literature. He retired from The Times of India in 2006, but he continued to draw cartoons for other publications until his death in 2015.

Introduction

R.K. Lakman was a master of the short story. His stories are often humorous and deal with everyday life in India. In "The Gold Frame," Lakman tells the story of a frame maker who accidentally damages a customer's photo. The frame maker is panic-stricken, but he comes up with a clever plan to substitute the damaged photo with another one. The customer, however, does not notice that the photo has been switched. He only complains that the frame is the wrong shape.

This story is a reminder that we often focus on the superficial aspects of things and fail to see the deeper meaning. The customer is so concerned with the shape of the frame that he does not even notice that the photo has been changed. This is a lesson that we can all learn from. We should not judge things based on their appearance alone. We should take the time to look deeper and see the true value of things.

Summary

Datta was the owner of a small shop called The Modern Frame Works. He used to put pictures into frames. One day a customer came to Datta’s shop with a faded picture of an elderly person. He demands that the best frame be used and chooses an imported German frame with an oval cut mount.

Later, however, Datta accidentally drops a tin of enamel paint over the photo. The photo is completely damaged. Datta is panic-stricken. He does not know what to do. As he looks around in dismay, an idea takes shape in Datta’s mind. He plans to substitute the damaged photo with another photo, which is somewhat similar. He finds a suitable photo for this purpose and puts it in a dazzling gold frame.

The customer arrives and asks if the work has been completed. Datta slowly removes the cover and hands over the photo. The customer looks at it. He shouts in anger, “What have you done?” Datta fears the worst. He thinks that his deception has been noticed. The customer continues shouting that while he had asked for an oval frame, Datta had used a square one!

Datta realizes then that the customer had not noticed that the photo itself was different. He had merely objected to the frame. He is relieved, as he knows that, at the most, he might have to change the frame.

Conclusion

This story teaches us a valuable lesson about the importance of appearances. The customer was so focused on the shape of the frame that he did not even notice that the photo had been changed. This is a reminder that we should not judge things based on their appearance alone. We should take the time to look deeper and see the true value of things.