The Dishonest Friend

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There was once a man who went on a journey,
and he asked a friend to take charge of his
plow till he should return. The friend promised to take
great care of it. But no sooner was the man
gone than he sold the plow and put the price
in his own pocket. Was not that a main trick
to serve a friend. The man came back and asked

(00:23):
his friend for the plow. Oh I am so sorry,
the friend replied. My house is infested with rats, and
one night a very big rat came and ate it up.
Ah well, said the man. What can't be cured must
be endured. It must have been a very big rat,
though it was said the other very big. You must

(00:47):
not suppose this man was quite such a fool as
he seemed. You will soon see why he did not
make a fuss about his plow. Next day, he took
his friend's son out for a walk. When they had
gone some distance, he took the boy to another friend's
house and told this friend to keep the boy safe,
but not to let him go out of the house

(01:08):
till he returned. Then he ran back to the boy's father.
Where is my boy? Asked the father, Your boy, Oh
I remember a hawk swooped down and carried him off.
Oh you liar, Oh you murderer, said the friend. Come
before the judge and then we shall see as you please,

(01:29):
said the man. So they went to the court. What
is your complaint, asked the judge. My lord, this man
took my son out for a walk with him and
came back alone. And now he says a hawk carried
him off. He must have murdered the boy, just as
my lord just is What is this, asked the judge sternly, Come,

(01:50):
my man, tell the truth. It is the truth, my lord,
said the man. He came with me for a walk
and was carried away by a hawk. Nonsense, said the judge.
Who ever heard of a hawk carrying off a boy?
And whoever heard, my lord, of a rat eating a plow?
What do you mean, asked the judge. The man told

(02:11):
his story. Then the judge saw that the man who
complained had cheated his friend and understood what was the
reason of this little trick. So he said to the
man whose son was lost, if you find the plow
that was entrusted to you, perhaps your son may be
found too. The man was much annoyed at being found out,

(02:31):
but willingly he had to give the plow back. Then
his son was brought back safe to him again, and
he began to see that honesty is the best policy.
End of the dishonest friend.