The Old Woman and the Physician

an old woman having lost the use of her eyes, called in a

physician to heal them, and made this bargain with him in the

presence of witnesses: that if he should cure her blindness, he

should receive from her a sum of money; but if her infirmity

remained, she should give him nothing. this agreement being

made, the physician, time after time, applied1 his salve to her

eyes, and on every visit took something away, stealing all her

property little by little. and when he had got all she had, he

healed her and demanded the promised payment. the old woman,

when she recovered her sight and saw none of her goods in her

house, would give him nothing. the physician insisted on his

claim, and. as she still refused, summoned her before the judge.

the old woman, standing2 up in the court, argued: "this man here

speaks the truth in what he says; for i did promise to give him a

sum of money if i should recover my sight: but if i continued

blind, i was to give him nothing. now he declares that i am

healed. i on the contrary affirm that i am still blind; for when

i lost the use of my eyes, i saw in my house various chattels3 and

valuable goods: but now, though he swears i am cured of my

blindness, i am not able to see a single thing in it."