In village India laundry is often done by the side of the river. People pay washer men to take the sheets and clothes down to the river bank, to a shallow place where they can wade -- and wash. The clothes are soused and whacked against big flat stones, then spread out on the grass to dry. One day a holy man, a lover of God, coming that way was praying hard and walking with his eyes almost closed.Accidentally he stepped on some of the clean laundry spread there, and the washer men saw it. Angry, they came to give him a beating.
Now this holy man became very frightened. He earnestly and loudly called on God to come to his aid and save him from the washer men’s anger. God, who was sitting in conference up in his heaven, heard the saint's cries and went to intervene. But just then the man himself picked up some bricks to throw at his tormentors; so the Lord singly returned to his heavenly seat. God helps those who do not help themselves!