Muni Muni is a poor and lonely old man whose livelihood are two goats; he has never held

more than a few coins in his hands, and any money he manages to save is spent on giving the goats a fancy diet. He regards them almost as his children, concerned that they might run after him when he leaves, but also, perhaps, even pleased for them, as this will be their first ride in a motorcar . Nevertheless, Muni wants to prove that even a poor old man like himself is familiar with the conventions of polite conversation: balancing off the credits and debits of conversational exchanges. Unfortunately, he has no idea what the American is talking about, but he appreciates the fact that he talks to him: all day I have none to talk to except when somebody stops to ask for a piece of tobacco . His only dream is to open a small shop, perhaps so that more people will stop to pass the time of day with him and show him a little respect, but for this he needs a capital of 20 rupees. So, when the American comes along and offers him 120 rupees for his goats (although he has no idea how much he is being offered) it seems as though his dreams have come true. Several factors point to the fact that Muni is treated as a social outcast: he assures the American that the goats are his, regardless of what people in the village say (p. 115, ll. 3739). Moreover, he is not particularly surprised that a policeman would want to question him about a murder, and the money lender has also accused him of stealing his pumpkins (p. 120, ll. 810). In the end Muni defines himself through his stories and knowledge of Hindu mythology which has been handed down by his ancestors . This is really all he can offer his listener, but as the American is oblivious to what he is saying, his stories are worthless.