THE PRECIOUS STONE

New Zealand Tablet, 30 October 1913, Page 61

THE PRECIOUS STONE

A goldsmith once received a commission to make a magnificent ornament for. a lady of rank, for which she gave him a number of precious jewels. Robert, his apprentice, was greatly delighted with the brilliant and dazzling stones, of every variety of colors, and was constantly looking at them. One day his master observed that two of the most beautiful among the stones were missing. His sus-

picion at once fell on the apprentice; and he searched his bed-room. There he actually found the jewels, in a hole which was in the wall, above an old chest! Robert earnestly and firmly declared that he had not taken them; but his master rebuked him harshly, told him he deserved to be hanged, and dismissed him from his employment. '* But, lo ! on the next day another stone was missing, and the goldsmith found it in the same hole! He now set himself in earnest to discover who it was that had, concealed it there. To his amazement, a magpie which the apprentice had trained, hopped up on the working-table, took a stone in its beak, and carried it off to the hole in the wall! The goldsmith was now grieved to the heart for the injustice which he had done to the poor lad. He took him back again, from that time forward treated him very kindly, and never again suspected anyone upon trivial grounds.