The Sweet Lie
The Daily Ritual
A man regularly bought apples from an old fruit seller. Every time after purchasing apples, he would tell the old man:
"Your apples are not sweet at all. Here, try one!"
Then he would offer an apple from his purchase to the old man. The old man would eat it, agree they were "sweet enough," and the customer would leave without saying anything more.
The Truth Revealed
One day, the man's wife accompanied him. After leaving the shop, she asked curiously:
"Why did you lie? The apples are so sweet!"
The Real Reason
The man explained to his wife:
"I know they are sweet. Have you not seen his face? He is very poor, collects food for his family with great difficulty. I let him eat an apple from my share every time I lie!"
The Other Side of the Story
Meanwhile, the wife asked a neighbor shopkeeper about the old man:
"I noticed you give that man a little more weight every day. What is the reason for this?"
The old man gently replied:
"Because I know every time he lies to give me an apple to eat. He thinks I don't understand it! Seeing his love for me, even my weighing scale falls in his favor automatically!"
The Beautiful Truth
"Both knew the truth, but both pretended not to know - to preserve each other's dignity"
The Customer's Kindness
Gave the old man an apple without making him feel like he was receiving charity
The Seller's Gratitude
Returned the kindness by giving extra apples without being asked
Mutual Respect
Both maintained each other's dignity while helping one another
Lessons We Can Learn
🤫 Kind Discretion
True help doesn't need to be announced - it can be given quietly
💝 Preserve Dignity
The way we help others should protect their self-respect
🔄 Gratitude Returns
Kindness given quietly often returns in unexpected ways
👁️ Silent Understanding
Sometimes the most beautiful relationships are built on unspoken understanding
The Sweetest Truth
Sometimes the most beautiful acts of kindness are those where both the giver and receiver pretend not to notice, preserving the dignity of love.
