The Merchant and the Iron Balance

A merchant stored a heavy iron balance with a friend before leaving town. When he returned and asked for it, the friend lied, "Rats ate your balance."

The merchant understood the deceit but remained calm. Later he took the friend's young son for a walk and hid him safely. When asked about the child, he said, "A hawk carried him away."

The friend cried, "How can a hawk carry a boy?" The merchant replied, "In a city where rats eat iron, hawks may carry children." The friend returned the balance, and the child was returned safely.