eturned home, full of joy, and became
known as the richest man in the village.
CHAPTER 2
Truth and Falsehood.
One day Truth started for the city to find some work. On his
way he overtook Falsehood, who was going to the city for the same
purpose. Falsehood asked permission to ride on the horse with Truth,
and his request was granted.
On the way they questioned each other as to the sort of work they
wanted. Truth stated that he intended to be a secretary, so that he
might always be clean and white. Falsehood declared that he would be
a cook, because then he would always have plenty of fine things to eat.
As they were riding along, they met a man carrying a corpse to the
cemetery. He had no one to help him, and Truth, in his great pity for
the man, jumped off his horse and helped him. After the corpse was
buried, Truth asked: "Did you pray for the repose of the soul of the
dead?" "No," was the reply, "I do not know how to pray, and I have
no money to pay the priest for candles." Then Truth gave the man all
the money he had, that he might have prayers said for the dead man,
and went back to his companion.
When dinner time came, Falsehood was very angry at finding out that
Truth had given all his money away, but finally proposed that they
should go to the river and catch some fish for dinner. When they
arrived at the river, they found some fish which had been caught
in a shallow pool near the bank, and caught all they wanted. But
Truth was very sorry for the fish, and threw his half back into the
river. Falsehood murmured at him and said: "It would have been better
for you to give them to me. If I had known that you would throw them
into the river, I would not have given you any of them." Then they
rode on. As they were going through a thick wood in the heart of the
mountain they heard a noise as of crying, far away. Truth went forward
to find what it was, but Falsehood, trembling with fear, hid himself
close behind his comrade. At last they saw seven little eagles in a
nest high in a tree. They were crying with hunger, and their mother was
nowhere to be seen. Truth was sorry for them, and killed his horse,
giving some of the meat to the young eagles, and spreading the rest
on the ground beneath the tree, so that the mother-bird might find it.
Falsehood hated his comrade for having killed the horse, because now
they were obliged to travel on foot. They went down the mountain,
and entering the city, presente
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