A strange event occurred in Satara the following day. Baba was on his way from Grafton to Rosewood with Bhau and Aloba, when he saw a fifteen-year-old boy collecting cowdung on the road.
Calling him, Baba asked, "What are you doing?"
The lad began weeping. "My family is poor," he said.
Baba instructed him, "Go home and come to Rosewood after washing."
The boy left and Baba went to the mandali's quarters at Rosewood.
The boy, whose name was Ismail, came to Rosewood and Baba asked him, "Don't you go to school?"
He replied he had quit school.
"If you are sent to a school, will you go?" Baba asked. "We will meet the expenses."
The boy answered, "I don't want to go to school."
Baba asked Pendu to pay the boy one rupee, and taking it, he walked home.
After he had left, Baba remarked to the mandali, "The lad seems to be clever. It would be better if he goes to school."
Shortly thereafter, Ismail returned. After inquiry, he said, "I have come back to return your rupee. My mother says not to accept anything without working for it."
"There is not much work here," Baba replied, "but if you agree to study, it can be arranged."
"I told you I don't want to go to school! But if someone were to tutor me here, I will come for lessons."
Baba turned to the mandali and gestured, "Bhau, you teach him and acquire his blessings! At least learn how to do some good for others!"
Ismail chimed in, "If he teaches me, I promise to study."
So Baba gave the duty of schoolmaster to Bhau. Bhau was soon to learn how Ismail, besides being his pupil, also would become his boss!
Poona lovers, including Shinde, Gadekar, Madhusudan, Kamble, Laxman Thade and Sadashiv Patil, had been given permission to arrange a mass darshan in Poona on 14 January. They came to Satara at the beginning of January to discuss the arrangements with Baba.
Baba left Satara for Poona on the 13th with Eruch, Bhau, Kumar and Aloba, and stayed in Ganeshkhind Garden at Dadi Kerawala's residence. (Pendu had been sent a day in advance.) Arrangement for darshan had been made in a bungalow in Ganeshkhind itself (Bungalow No. 5, Shivajinagar, near the Poona Meteorological Observatory) belonging to a Sindhi, Javarmal Ahuja.