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October 3rd, 2001, 10:19 AM
Once there was a village, rather large which acted as the marketplace for the region around it. Farmers and merchants would travel there each week to sell their wares or if something was needed to buy goods. One day a farmer set off from his village to buy a new plow to work his fields. His old one had broken and he had just enough, four copper coins, to buy a replacement. As he walked down the dusty road, he did not notice that the string which held his purse had broken, and along with his coins fallen to the road. He did not discover his loss till he had tried to purchase the new plow. Fearing his loss and the possibility of going hungry, he began to hurry back down the road from the village looking for the purse.
Now shortly after the man had lost his money down the same road came a very poor man, old and no longer able to work, he was on his way to the village to beg for alms for food for himself and his family. Looking down he spied the purse on the ground. He picked it up and found the four copper coins. He thought of his family and their hunger yet seeing only four coins in the purse he knew this had belonged to one not much better than himself in station. He thought, "The owner of this purse will soon be missing it," so he placed the purse back down where he found it and walked on toward the village.
Next down the road came a fat merchant, his purse hung heavy from his belt. He was on his way to the village to buy farms from those whom fate had forced from the land. Passing the place where the purse was lost he looked down to see it laying in the road. "Ho, Ho, what do we have here," he cried and reaching down with a grunt he picked it up. Opening it, he found only the four copper coins. "Not much for my effort, he said, but more than I had a moment ago," and so he stuck the coins into his already bulging purse.
It is funny how a thing might hold a hundred of something but one more will break it. Such was the case with the merchants heavy purse, the four copper coins were more than it could hold and as with the first owner, the purse with the four copper coins and those of the merchant dropped to the road. Of course this was not noticed by the merchant.
Hurrying back along the road from the village the man who originally lost the coins met the poor man. He told him he had lost his purse along the way and asked if he had seen it. The beggar told him he had and knew right where it was. "I cannot reward you much, he told him, I need the coins for a new plow, but if you come back to my farm with me and help carry the plow I will share my food with you and your family." The beggar agreed thinking this was a fair bargain. Now about this time as they headed down the road they passed the fat merchant. Seeing the two men walking toward him and thinking they were beggars come to plead for his hard earned money he yelled at them to be off and stay away from him. "Not one coin for the likes of you." Startled at this outburst the two men drew back and let the merchant pass. Both men continued back down the road but before reaching the spot where the purse had been lost by the farmer they found the merchants purse and with it the farmers four copper coins. "Here is my money," he said to the beggar, "but it seems to have increased in my absence." "Good fortune for us then," said the beggar. "Yes," and bad for another was the farmer's reply. The two men headed back to the village to purchase the plow.
Now the merchant had gotten to the village and after such a long trip had decided to eat and so going to the only inn the village had sat down and ate a fine meal washed down with much wine. When it came time to pay, he reached for his purse and found it was gone. Now the innkeeper was in no mood to deal with those who would not pay so he called for the village's sheriff who promptly came and arrested the merchant. The merchant having never seen the inside of the kings' dungeons and not wanting to visit them yelled and struggled as best as his portly figure would allow. All the commotion attracted the farmer and the beggar who had just arrived at the village. The farmer asked, "What is going on?" One of the crowd who had gathered told him that the fat merchant had tried to cheat the innkeeper of his due, saying, "It's a dark cell for him now." The farmer realized that the purse they had found with his four copper coins in it was the merchants. "Innkeeper," he shouted, "What is this mans debt to you?" "Four copper coins," said the innkeeper. The farmer brought forth his four copper coins and pressed them into the innkeepers' hand. The sheriff let the merchant go and before he could say anything the farmer and the beggar were gone.
The farmer bought his plow that day but the rest of the contents of the purse he gave to the beggar, who thought to himself that his trip that day and his honesty earlier had paid off handsomely.
Copyrighted by Michael St. Germaine
Now shortly after the man had lost his money down the same road came a very poor man, old and no longer able to work, he was on his way to the village to beg for alms for food for himself and his family. Looking down he spied the purse on the ground. He picked it up and found the four copper coins. He thought of his family and their hunger yet seeing only four coins in the purse he knew this had belonged to one not much better than himself in station. He thought, "The owner of this purse will soon be missing it," so he placed the purse back down where he found it and walked on toward the village.
Next down the road came a fat merchant, his purse hung heavy from his belt. He was on his way to the village to buy farms from those whom fate had forced from the land. Passing the place where the purse was lost he looked down to see it laying in the road. "Ho, Ho, what do we have here," he cried and reaching down with a grunt he picked it up. Opening it, he found only the four copper coins. "Not much for my effort, he said, but more than I had a moment ago," and so he stuck the coins into his already bulging purse.
It is funny how a thing might hold a hundred of something but one more will break it. Such was the case with the merchants heavy purse, the four copper coins were more than it could hold and as with the first owner, the purse with the four copper coins and those of the merchant dropped to the road. Of course this was not noticed by the merchant.
Hurrying back along the road from the village the man who originally lost the coins met the poor man. He told him he had lost his purse along the way and asked if he had seen it. The beggar told him he had and knew right where it was. "I cannot reward you much, he told him, I need the coins for a new plow, but if you come back to my farm with me and help carry the plow I will share my food with you and your family." The beggar agreed thinking this was a fair bargain. Now about this time as they headed down the road they passed the fat merchant. Seeing the two men walking toward him and thinking they were beggars come to plead for his hard earned money he yelled at them to be off and stay away from him. "Not one coin for the likes of you." Startled at this outburst the two men drew back and let the merchant pass. Both men continued back down the road but before reaching the spot where the purse had been lost by the farmer they found the merchants purse and with it the farmers four copper coins. "Here is my money," he said to the beggar, "but it seems to have increased in my absence." "Good fortune for us then," said the beggar. "Yes," and bad for another was the farmer's reply. The two men headed back to the village to purchase the plow.
Now the merchant had gotten to the village and after such a long trip had decided to eat and so going to the only inn the village had sat down and ate a fine meal washed down with much wine. When it came time to pay, he reached for his purse and found it was gone. Now the innkeeper was in no mood to deal with those who would not pay so he called for the village's sheriff who promptly came and arrested the merchant. The merchant having never seen the inside of the kings' dungeons and not wanting to visit them yelled and struggled as best as his portly figure would allow. All the commotion attracted the farmer and the beggar who had just arrived at the village. The farmer asked, "What is going on?" One of the crowd who had gathered told him that the fat merchant had tried to cheat the innkeeper of his due, saying, "It's a dark cell for him now." The farmer realized that the purse they had found with his four copper coins in it was the merchants. "Innkeeper," he shouted, "What is this mans debt to you?" "Four copper coins," said the innkeeper. The farmer brought forth his four copper coins and pressed them into the innkeepers' hand. The sheriff let the merchant go and before he could say anything the farmer and the beggar were gone.
The farmer bought his plow that day but the rest of the contents of the purse he gave to the beggar, who thought to himself that his trip that day and his honesty earlier had paid off handsomely.
Copyrighted by Michael St. Germaine