THE TRAVELERS AND THE PURSE

Two men were traveling in company along the road when one of them picked up a well-filled purse.

“How lucky I am!” he said. “I have found a purse. Judging by its weight it must be full of gold.”

“Do not say ‘_I_ have found a purse,'” said his companion. “Say rather ‘_we_ have found a purse’ and ‘how lucky _we_ are.’ Travelers ought to share alike the fortunes or misfortunes of the road.”

“No, no,” replied the other angrily. “_I_ found it and _I_ am going to keep it.”

Just then they heard a shout of “Stop, thief!” and looking around, saw a mob of people armed with clubs coming down the road.

The man who had found the purse fell into a panic.

“We are lost if they find the purse on us,” he cried.

“No, no,” replied the other, “You would not say ‘we’ before, so now stick to your ‘I’. Say ‘_I_ am lost.'”

_We cannot expect any one to share our misfortunes unless we are willing to share our good fortune also._