The brief moral of the story is that cheating or being dishonest will eventually catch up with you. The cunning neighbour in the story thought he could deceive the farmer by selling the well but refusing to let him access the water. However, Birbal, known for his cleverness, saw through the deception and turned the tables on the neighbour.

Birbal's response highlighted the logical inconsistency in the neighbour's argument. If the water truly belonged to the neighbour and not the farmer, then there was no reason for him to keep it in the farmer's well. The neighbour was forced to either remove the water or use it up immediately to avoid any potential consequences.

The neighbour's realization of his mistake and immediate apology demonstrate that cheating and dishonesty ultimately lead to negative consequences. The moral encourages honesty and integrity, emphasizing that taking shortcuts or deceiving others will only lead to trouble in the end. The reference to the Hindi proverb "ser ko sawa ser jaroor milta hai" implies that one can expect to face the consequences of their actions sooner or later