The Merchant and the Iron Scales

A young merchant was about to set off on a long journey, and he had one heavy treasure he could not take with him: a great balance-scale, the kind used to weigh out goods, made of solid iron. It was worth a good deal of money. So he carried it to an older merchant, a neighbour he believed he could trust, and asked him to keep it safe until he returned.

“Of course, of course,” said the older merchant warmly. “It will be perfectly safe with me.”

Many months later the young man came home and went to collect his iron scale. But the older merchant put on a very sad face. “Oh, my friend,” he sighed, “I have terrible news. I kept your scale in the storeroom, and while you were away, the mice got at it. They ate the whole thing. Every last bit of iron. There is nothing left to give you back.”

The young merchant understood at once that he was being cheated. Iron, eaten by mice! But he did not argue. He only nodded sadly. “Mice,” he said. “Yes. Greedy creatures. What can anyone do?” And then he smiled. “Never mind the scale. Would you do me one small kindness instead? The river is so pleasant today. Might I take your young son down for a swim?”

The older merchant, relieved to be let off so easily, happily sent his little boy along.

But the young merchant did not take the boy swimming. He led him somewhere safe and comfortable, gave him sweets to eat, and told him to wait quietly. Then he walked back alone.

“Where is my son?” cried the older merchant.

The young man wrung his hands. “Oh, my friend, I have terrible news. As we walked by the river, a great hawk swooped down out of the sky, snatched your boy up in its claws, and carried him clean away.”

“That is impossible!” the merchant roared. “A hawk could never carry off a boy! Do you take me for a fool?”

“In a land,” said the young merchant calmly, “where mice can eat a whole scale of solid iron, I do not see why a hawk could not carry off a boy.”

The older merchant went very quiet. He understood. Then he hurried away and came back lugging the iron scale, exactly where it had been all along, and handed it over without another word. And the young merchant, with a smile, told him just where to find his son, safe and sound and sticky with sweets.