Christ and the Thief

     After a strenuous journey, the Lord and his disciples arrived at a village inn at dusk. After entering the tavern, they hung their coats on the pegs and sat down at a long oak table.
     Soon the innkeeper brought them a simple supper. The travelers began to eat with appetite. They talked among themselves about the events they had experienced during the day.
     One of the disciples noticed the unusual behavior of a local guest. He leaned toward the Lord and whispered quietly, “Look, Master, some man is taking money from the pocket of your coat!”
     Christ said, “Do not prevent him.”
     “What that wretch is doing is theft! The man is a thief!” the other objected.
     “Yes, you are right. We shall not judge him now. He himself will come to realize what shameful deed he has committed.”
     The dishonest man soon slipped out of the inn. He rejoiced at how easily he had come by such wealth.
     When he arrived home, he spread the money out on the table in front of his wife. Her eyes lit up with joy. “Such a fortune! Real gold coins! How did you get them?”
     The man told her the whole story.
     Instead of being grateful, the woman rounded on him: “You fool! Why didn’t you search through the other coats as well?”    
     “What a blockhead I am! You see, that never occurred to me!” “Next time you will be wiser,” said his wife, now in a gentler tone.
     Both smiled blissfully at their good fortune.
     The man put the money away in the cupboard.
     Then they went to bed. Shortly after they had lain down, something strange happened. The metal coins grew red‑hot. From them the wooden cupboard caught fire and flared up like paper.
     In an instant, the fire was everywhere. The table was burning, the floor was burning.
     The woman cried out, “Husband! Get up! Our cottage is on fire! We must get out quickly, or we shall burn to death.”
     They ran outside the house. In horror they watched the entire devastation. Mighty flames consumed the entire dwelling.
     Only now did the cottager connect the fire with his dishonest act.
     “Oh! What have I, poor wretch, done!” he lamented. “We have lost all our possessions! We have become paupers. We did not deserve such a punishment,” sobbed the woman.
     It was too late for a troubled conscience.
     In the east, it slowly began to grow light. The first rays of the sun appeared. A new ordinary day was just being born.

     Translated into English by artificial intelligence.