Children's Stories (Chapter 16 & 17)

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Chapter 16

Sai Baba’s method of giving blessings is quite unique. He sometimes scolded, abused and even beat His devotees. At first devotees got confuse and thought otherwise. But with Baba’s grace, they got the exact purport of Sai’s deeds. Here we shall see such an incident.
With time, more and more devotees started coming to Shirdi. One of the devotees gifted a horse to Baba. The horse was named "Shamkarna". It was the same horse, which was present in the procession of Chavadi. Today the Samadhi of Shamkarna is situated in Lendi Bagh, which can be visited by all the devotees. The story goes like this.
One devotee brought a horse named Shamkarna to be presented to Baba. He asked Radhakrishna Mai the due for his labour, but she sent him to Madhav Rao Deshpande alias Shama. Shama instead sent him to Baba in Dwarkamai. It was afternoon and Baba was resting. The man stood in the verandah of Dwarkamai and cried bitterly, "Give me the due for my labour” After some time, Baba came there and hit the man on the head with a stone. The man started bleeding and he sat there holding his head. At that moment Kaka Saheb Dixit reached there and paid him Rs. 200. He asked him to stop doing this menial work and buy a horse cart and start running it between Kopargaon and Shirdi. Kaka Saheb told him that he was very lucky to have got Sri Sai Baba's blessings. Thousands of people stand outside everyday in order to have Baba's blessings and to feel his touch but only a lucky few like you have the pleasure of Baba's blessings without saying anything.
It is the supreme truth that Baba's mere touch washes our sins and removes all the obstructions in one's life.
The man obeyed Kaka Saheb and as a result started earning a lot. Baba's blessings, even in the form of hitting him, changed his destiny.
Bow to Sri Sai - Peace be to all

Chapter 17
Sri Sai Baba's staunch devotee, Moreshwar Pradhan wanted to make a big portrait of Baba in the form of an oil painting. So he sent for Shri Shama Rao V.R. Jaykar who was an established painter to make his portrait. In the Masjid, Baba and Jaykar observed each other closely. It was necessary to take Baba's permission before making His portrait. Hence on Jaykar's request Shama asked Baba to give permission for the making of his portrait. Baba said to Shama, "I am a poor Fakir. What good would my picture do to you? Instead you ask this man to sketch your own picture." But when Shama insisted Baba agreed to pose for the picture. After obtaining Baba's permission, Jaykar made four portraits instead of one. Out of these, Shri Pradhan took two, one was given to Kaka Saheb Dixit by Baba, and the remaining one was established in front of the Dhuni in the Masjid after Baba took Samadhi. This portrait can be seen even today in Dwarkamai in Shirdi and all the devotees who go to Shirdi can obtain Baba's blessings from this portrait.
Bow to Sri Sai - Peace be to all