Two workers were walking on their way to work. One of them saw an axe thrown in one of the fields. He took it and said: I found an axe. His colleague said to him: Don’t say I found an axe, but say we found an axe, because we are two and should be partners in it.
The Two Workers and the Axe Owner: The first wasn’t satisfied with that judgment and resolved to have the axe for himself alone. Before they left the field, the axe owner saw them, chased them, caught them, and threatened to raise their matter to the mayor for taking an axe that wasn’t theirs.
Entanglement in Theft Charge: The worker who found it recognized the danger of the theft charge, so he said to his colleague: Woe to us, we have fallen into the farmer’s hands by bad luck. His other colleague answered saying: Don’t say we have fallen, but say: I have fallen, for you didn’t allow me to share with you in it when you found it. How do you want me to share with you in the charge you were accused of!
Raising the Matter to the Mayor: The field owner raised the matter to the town mayor. The town mayor listened to the words of the two workers and the words of the axe owner. When he realized the worker didn’t intend to steal the axe, but took something that wasn’t his without asking about its owner, he scolded him severely. He asked the worker accused of theft to apologize to the field owner for what he did. He asked the field owner to forgive the worker and pardon him for that unintentional act.
Regret, Apology, and Pardon: The first worker regretted what he did, taking what wasn’t his. He apologized to the axe owner. The field owner forgave him, took it from him, and departed.
Lesson Learned: That worker learned a lesson he didn’t forget throughout his life, that taking something that isn’t yours without asking about its owner is theft, which may lead to facing a difficult account, and that by doing so, he places himself in accusations with bad consequences.