He assumed that most madrasis would speak English but found that many people spoke only their native tongue - including the ticket inspector on the train. He punched Santa's ticket, then chatted cordially for a bit, making gestures like a windmill. Santa simply nodded from time to time to show him that he was interested.
When he had gone, a man in the compartment leaned forward and asked if he spoke Tamil.
'No,' Santa confessed.
'Then that explains,' the man said, 'why you didn't bat an eyelid when he told you that you were on the wrong train!'
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