People looked at each other , hardly able to believe what they had just seen . Tashi ' s grandfather ran up to the stranger and shook his hand , thanking him , but the Baron stepped in and cut him off . He gathered the Elders around him , saying , " Let ' s not be too hasty in our thanks . We can ' t be sure it was the stranger ' s flute that drove off the locusts . Maybe they would have gone of their own accord . And , in any case , a bag of gold is far too much to pay for one moment ' s work . "