It is this costly diamond which you see in my hand. I
will give it to that one of you who shall earn it by the noblest deed.
"Go, therefore, and travel for three months; at the end of that time,
we will meet here again, and you shall tell me what you have done."
The sons thereupon departed, and traveled for three months, each in a
different direction. At the end of that time they returned; and all came
together to their father to give an account of their journey. The eldest
son spoke first.
"Father, on my journey a stranger entrusted to me a great number of
valuable jewels, without taking any account of them. Indeed, I was well
aware that he did not know how many the package contained.
"One or two of them would never have been missed, and I might easily
have enriched myself without fear of detection. But I gave back the
package exactly as I had received it. Was not this a noble deed?"
"My son," replied the father, "simple honesty cannot be called noble.
You did what was right, and nothing more. If you had acted otherwise,
you would have been dishonest, and your deed would have shamed you. You
have done well, but not nobly.
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