Found And Lost
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It was in the Yuan dynasty in the thirteenth century.
Early one morning, a young man went to the market to buy some vegetables and found a bundle of money in the street. It was still dark. He hid himself away and waited until daybreak to count it. It was worth a hundred and fifty ounces of silver. Elated, he bought some meat and rice for his mother instead of vegetables.
“Where did you get the money to buy this much meat and rice?” His mother was surprised.
The young man told her what he had found, but she did not believe him.
“Don’t lie to me. People might drop one or two bills accidentally, but not a bundle of money. I hope you did not steal it. Ill-gotten gains never bring luck.”
The young man kept silent, and his mother took his silence for admission of guilt. She became angry and threatened to inform the police.
“I honestly found the money in the street,” said her son. “I don’t know whom to return the money to.”
“Just wait where you found it. When the owner comes looking for it, give the money back to him. If you keep what doesn’t belong to you, you’ll invite bad luck.”
The young man went back to the spot, and soon he saw a man came looking for the money. Without asking how much he had lost, the young man handed him the money. A bystander saw this and suggested to the owner that he give the young man some money as reward. But the man was something of a miser.
“I lost three hundred ounces of silver,” he said. “Here is only half of it. Why should I reward him?”
His remark triggered a quarrel with the young man. Both went to the local magistrate named Nie Yidao. After hearing the case, the magistrate sent for the young man’s mother. He questioned her privately and found what she said corresponded to her son’s account. He then asked each man to sign a sworn statement regarding the exact amount of the money lost and the money found.
“All right. The money found is not the money lost,” Magistrate Nie announced. “It must be a gift to a good mother from God.”
He ordered that the money be given to the young man’s mother. Then he turned to the other man. “You must have lost your money somewhere else. Go and look for it.”
The audience in the court-room applauded Magistrate Nie’s verdict.
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Race For Innocence
Last Story
Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neibhor's Property
Wise Proverbs
- Lies can never changes fact.
- 谎言终究是谎言。
- Covet all and lose all.
- 贪婪愈多，失去也愈多。
- Bad beginnings have ever bad endings.
- 不慎始者，常得恶果。
Editor Says:
Dishonesty often has a boomerang effect