Money-Lender's Wit

In a small town, centuries of years ago, a miniature business landlord owed a considerable amount of cash from a money-lender. The money-lender was a really old, unattractive fellow that just so happened to fancy the business owner’s son.

She decided to offer the businessman a settlement that would effectively wash out the obligation he owed. Nevertheless, the game was that we would only clean out the debt if she could marry the businessman’s descendant.

Needless to say, this proposal was met with a look of hatred.

The loan-shark said that he would place two pebbles into a bag, one white and one black.

The son would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble. If it was black, the debt would be wiped, but she would then marry him. If it was white, the debt would also be wiped, but the son wouldn’t have to marry the loan-shark.

Standing on a pebble-strewn path in the businessman’s garden, the loan-shark bent over and picked up two pebbles.

Whilst he was picking them up, the son noticed that she’d picked up two black pebbles and placed them both into the bag.

She then asked the son to reach into the bag and pick one.

The son naturally had three choices as to what he could have done:

Refuse to pick a pebble from the bag. Take both pebbles out of the bag and expose the loan-shark for cheating. Pick a pebble from the bag fully well knowing it was black and sacrifice herself for her father’s freedom. He drew out a pebble from the bag, and before looking at it ‘accidentally’ dropped it into the midst of the other pebbles. He said to the loan-shark;

“Oh, how clumsy of me. Never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

 

The pebble left in the bag is obviously black, and seeing as the loan-shark didn’t want to be exposed, she had to play along as if the pebble the son dropped was white, and clear her father’s debt.

We learn that it’s always pleasant to overwhelm a tough situation through a creative mind.