Two woodcutters from my village went out into the
nearby jungle to cut wood. By chance, I was also walking
that way. I saw them and greeted them from a distance.
They were seated near a bush in conversation and did not
notice me. So I approached them, and as I came closer,
one of them saw me and quickly covered something with
a cloth. I asked him what was under the cloth.
At first,the men tried to evade my question and keep their secret
hidden. So I asked again. Finally, they told me their story,
saying that I was to be the judge of what had happened,
and I was to give them my advice.
One of the men told me that as they were walking
through the forest, they noticed something glittering under
the bush. Coming closer, they found two gold ingots.
When I arrived, they were debating what to do with this
treasure. I told them that these bars were death traps in
the guise of gold and they should be left under the bush
and forgotten. I explained to them that I had heard about
a banker in a nearby town who had been killed by burglars
in his house.
If the thieves were somewhere about
and discovered the woodcutters with their treasure, they
would not hesitate to kill them. Moreover, if the woodcutters
kept the gold and were discovered, they would
the pilgrim surely be accused of the theft and the banker’s murder.
They nodded in agreement and said they would do as I
suggested. Then I went on my way.
However, they continued to argue over the gold, ignoring
my advice. The first woodcutter demanded twothirds
share, because according to him, it was he who
had discovered the gold; the other insisted that they
should divide it equally. Finally, the first agreed. To celebrate,
one of them went into the village to buy something to eat.
Once separated, however, both men burned with such
greed that each plotted to kill the other.
When the woodcutter
who had gone into the village returned, the one
who had remained to watch over the gold attacked him
and killed him. But the murderer did not live to enjoy the
gold, because – not knowing that his companion had
poisoned the food he had bought – he ate of it and fell
dead. Now both of them lie in this grave.
nearby jungle to cut wood. By chance, I was also walking
that way. I saw them and greeted them from a distance.
They were seated near a bush in conversation and did not
notice me. So I approached them, and as I came closer,
one of them saw me and quickly covered something with
a cloth. I asked him what was under the cloth.
At first,the men tried to evade my question and keep their secret
hidden. So I asked again. Finally, they told me their story,
saying that I was to be the judge of what had happened,
and I was to give them my advice.
One of the men told me that as they were walking
through the forest, they noticed something glittering under
the bush. Coming closer, they found two gold ingots.
When I arrived, they were debating what to do with this
treasure. I told them that these bars were death traps in
the guise of gold and they should be left under the bush
and forgotten. I explained to them that I had heard about
a banker in a nearby town who had been killed by burglars
in his house.
If the thieves were somewhere about
and discovered the woodcutters with their treasure, they
would not hesitate to kill them. Moreover, if the woodcutters
kept the gold and were discovered, they would
the pilgrim surely be accused of the theft and the banker’s murder.
They nodded in agreement and said they would do as I
suggested. Then I went on my way.
However, they continued to argue over the gold, ignoring
my advice. The first woodcutter demanded twothirds
share, because according to him, it was he who
had discovered the gold; the other insisted that they
should divide it equally. Finally, the first agreed. To celebrate,
one of them went into the village to buy something to eat.
Once separated, however, both men burned with such
greed that each plotted to kill the other.
When the woodcutter
who had gone into the village returned, the one
who had remained to watch over the gold attacked him
and killed him. But the murderer did not live to enjoy the
gold, because – not knowing that his companion had
poisoned the food he had bought – he ate of it and fell
dead. Now both of them lie in this grave.
