THE THIEF AND HIS MOTHER
A young child in school stole a book from one of his fellows, and brought it home to his mother. Instead of upbraiding him, she fully went along with his wrongful deed. In time this knave, 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 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 almost 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 thorough 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.