Choppy’s Tale

In a sad little town beside the merchant road lived a pathetic little con man, known not for his strength or trade but for his silver tongue. His silver tongue could sell sand to a desert traveler. But each con left him longing for a greater one, a scheme that would make the world itself bend to his wit.

One day, he devised his grandest trick that would provide him with more than enough gems and money to get him to the next town.

He convinced the townsfolk to invest in a grand bridge that would lead to riches on the other side of the river. He collected their gold, spun stories of fortune, and promised the crossing would open in a week. But when he fled that night with his satchels full, the rains came and flooded the valley, washing away every path of escape. Stranded, the con man watched his carefully woven lies unravel faster than the currents below.

Worn and desperate, he stumbled back into the same town, expecting anger and retribution. Instead, the townsfolk pitied him. They offered him bread, but no trust. For the first time, he saw that deceit had built him nothing solid—only bridges of air, doomed to collapse. He chose then to live honestly, using his cleverness to help others instead of hollowing them.

The moral: A sharp mind that cuts others will one day turn upon itself.