Aesop's Tales/The Thief and his Mother

THE THIEF AND HIS MOTHER

A schoolboy stole a book from one of his schoolfellows, and brought it home to his mother. Instead of scolding him, she fully went along with his wrongful deed. In time the boy, now grown into a man, began to steal things of greater worth, till at last being witnessed  once more taking something  which did not belong to him he was bound, hands behind his back, and led to the gallows.

Upon seeing his mother following amongst the crowd, wailing and beating her breast in sorrow, he asked the sheriff to let him whisper one last word in her ear. When she quickly drew near and put her ear to her son’s mouth, he nearly bit it off. Upon this she yelled out loudly, and the bystanders flocked forward chiding the uncaring son, as if his evil ways had not been enough, but that his last deed  must be one of greater unkindness towards his mother. But he answered; “It is she who is the wright of my wrongs; for if, when first I stole my schoolfellow’s book and brought it to her, she had given me a sound thrashing, I should never have grown so wicked in my ways and come to this untimely end”

Teach a child to follow after the right things of life, and when he is old he will not wander from worthiness.