A BOY stole a lesson-book from one of his schoolfellows and took it home to his Mother. She not only abstained from beating him, but encouraged him. He next time stole a cloak and brought it to her, and she again commended him. The Youth, advanced to adulthood, proceeded to steal things of still greater value. At last he was caught in the very act, and having his hands bound behind him, was led away to the place of public execution. His Mother followed in the crowd and violently beat her breast in sorrow, whereupon the young man said, “I wish to say something to my Mother in her ear.” She came close to him, and he quickly seized her ear with his teeth and bit it off. The Mother upbraided him as an unnatural child, whereon he replied, “Ah! if you had beaten me when I first stole and brought to you that lesson-book, I should not have come to this, nor have been thus led to a disgraceful death.”
少年が、同級生のひとりから教科書を盗み、家に持って帰って母親に見せた。母親は少年をぶたなかったばかりか、ほめてはげました。次に少年はマントを盗んで母親のところへ持ってきたが、母親はまたほめた。少年はおとなになると、さらに値打ちのあるものを盗むようになった。とうとう彼は盗みの現場でつかまり、両手を後ろでしばられて、公開処刑の場へ引かれていった。母親は群衆の中をついていき、悲しみのあまり胸をはげしくたたいた。すると若者は言った。「母に、耳もとで言いたいことがあります」。母親が近寄ると、彼はすばやく母親の耳に歯でかみつき、かみ切ってしまった。母親が親不孝者だと彼をののしると、彼は答えた。「ああ！初めて盗みをしてあの教科書を持ってきたときに、あなたがぼくをぶってくれていたら、ぼくはこんなことにはならなかったし、こんなふうに恥ずべき死へと引かれていくこともなかったのに」