Truth and Injustice lived in the same country, and one day they happened to
meet, and agreed to be friends. But as Injustice brought many people into
trouble, Truth declared that she would have no more to do with her, upon which
Injustice grew angry, and put out the eyes of Truth. Truth wandered about for
a long time at random, and at last she came to a walnut-tree, and climbed up
it to rest awhile in safety from wild beasts. During the night a wolf and a
mouse came to the foot of the tree, and held the following conversation. The
wolf began, "I am very comfortable in the land where I am now living, for
there are so many blind people there that I can steal almost any animal I like
without anybody seeing me. If the blind men knew that they had only to rub
their eyes with the moss which grows on the stones here in order to recover
their sight, I should soon get on badly with them."
The mouse responded, "I live in a district where the people have no water, and
are obliged to fetch it from a great distance. When they are away from home I
can enjoy as much of their provisions as I like; indeed, I can heap together
as large a store as I please without being disturbed. If the people knew that
they had only to cut down a great oak tree, and a great lime tree which grow
near their houses, in order to find water, I should soon be badly off."
As soon as the wolf and the mouse were gone, Truth came down from her tree,
and groped about until she found a moss-covered stone, when she rubbed her
eyes with the moss. She recovered her sight immediately, and then went her way
till she came to the country where most of the people were blind. Truth
demanded that the blind people should pay her a fixed sum of money, when she
would tell them of a remedy by which they could recover their sight. The blind
men gave her the money, and Truth supplied them with the remedy which had
cured herself.
After this, Truth proceeded further till she came to the district where the
people had no water. She told them that if they would give her a carriage and
horses, she would tell them where to find water. The people were glad to agree
to her proposal.
When Truth had received the carriage and horses, she showed the people the oak
and the lime tree, which they felled by her directions, when water immediately
flowed from under the roots in great abundance.
As Truth drove away she met Injustice, who had fallen into poverty, and was
wandering from one country to another in rags. Truth knew her immediately, and
asked her to take a seat in her carriage. Injustice then recognised her, and
asked her how she had received the light of her eyes, and how she had come by
such a fine carriage. Truth told her everything, including what she had heard
from the wolf and the mouse. Injustice then persuaded her to put out her eyes,
for she wanted to be rich, and to have a fine carriage too; and then Truth
told her to descend. Truth herself drove away, and seldom shows herself to
men.
Injustice wandered about the country till she found the walnut tree, up which
she climbed. When evening came, the wolf and the fox met under the tree again
to talk. Both were now in trouble, for the wolf could not steal an animal
without being seen and pursued by the people, and the mouse could no longer
eat meat or collect stores without being disturbed, for the people were no
longer obliged to leave their home for a long time to fetch water. Both the
wolf and the mouse suspected that some one had overheard their late
conversation, so they looked up in search of the listener, and discovered
Injustice in the tree. The animals supposed that it was she who had betrayed
them, and said in anger, "May our curse be upon you that you may remain for
ever blind, for you have deprived us of our means of living."
After thus speaking, the animals ran away, but Injustice has ever since
remained blind, and does harm to everybody who chances to come in her way.