The Old Woman and the Physician

 There lived an old woman in a city. Added to her old age, she was beginning to lose her eye-sight as well.

She was worried that she would lose her vision completely. So she visited a physician in her city to cure her.

The physician was new and young. But he looked at the old nearly blind woman and had an idea. He readily agreed to cure her blindness.

The old woman was taken aback with his eagerness and smelt a trap. “I shall pay you ten silver coins only when you completely cure me.” She told the physician carefully. “I will not pay you anything, if your treatment does not work.”

The physician did not even hesitate. “I agree to the conditions.” He shrugged to himself. “Your treatment will start tomorrow. Since you cannot see properly, I would advise you not to come here daily. I will come to your house and treat your eyes.”

The old lady could not find any flaw in the physician’s words and agreed.

So daily the physician came to the old lady’s house.

Though he treated her properly, the physician was greedy.

Realizing that the old woman could not see properly, the physician stole some precious trinkets from the old woman’s house, daily.

A month later, the old woman’s vision had improved considerably and the physician had stolen many precious items from her house.

Finally the treatment was over and the physician demanded his fees.

The old woman refused to pay him.

Angry, the physician took the lady to court.

“I treated her properly.” The physician told the court the next day. “She promised to pay me ten silver coins. Now, she completely refuses to pay me.”

The judge was puzzled as he looked at the physician and the old woman.

“Did you have trouble with your vision, grandma?” The judge asked the old woman.

“Yes.”

“Did you go to the physician?”

“Yes.”

“Did you promise to pay him on successfully completing your treatment?”

“Yes.”

“Can you see better now?”

“I cannot say that for certainty, my judge.”

“She lies!” The physician yelled. “She can see much better than she could when she came to consult me first.”

The judge studied the physician and then looked at the old woman.

“Why do you say that you cannot see better, grandma?” The judge asked finally.

The old lady smiled. “Over the years when I was younger and could see better, I had gathered many treasures. I adorned my house with them, judge.” The old woman looked at the physician with a cold smile. “I do not see any of those treasures around my house. If I do not see them, that means I have not gained my vision, isn’t it?”

Needless to say, the physician was forced to return all the old woman’s jewelry. He was not paid for his treatment, because he was imprisoned for his thievery.

(The story is of Greek Origin and was included in many books including the Fable of Aesop’s)

-Aesop’s Fables.