Once there was an old man who had a very beautiful and fast horse. Many people offered him a lot of money for the horse, but he refused to sell it. His deep love for the horse was one of the reasons he would not part with it.
One day, a famous horseman heard about the horse and came to the old man with a large sum of money, hoping to buy it. However, the old man was determined not to sell the horse at any price. As the horseman left, he warned, “Remember, whatever I like, I always get.”
Days passed, and the old man eventually forgot about the encounter. One day, while riding his horse through a forest, he saw a weak and sick man who seemed to need a ride. The man described his dire situation in a very pitiful way and asked for help. Feeling compassion, the old man immediately gave the man his precious horse without hesitation.
As soon as the man mounted the horse, he appeared strong and happy. He then removed the cloth from his face, revealing that he was the same horseman. Laughing with a poisonous tone, the horseman said, “Old man, I told you I get what I want. See how you handed me the reins and ownership of your horse yourself.”
Hearing this, the old man replied, “The horse is yours now. You truly have obtained it, and I will not ask for it back. But I have one request: if people ask you about this horse, please tell them that the old man gave it as a gift.”
The horseman asked why he should say that. The old man explained, “If you say you tricked an old man by pretending to be in need and got what you wanted, people will stop trusting those in need. They will no longer help others, fearing they might be fooled.”
