There were once two close friends who spent most of their days together. One afternoon, one of them approached the other with an unusual request.
“Here,” he said, handing him 200 dollars. “Go to the wisest man in our neighborhood. When you get there, invent a problem and ask him for a solution. And please, stay there for at least three hours. I need some time… I want to go and enjoy myself with the wise man’s wife.”
Surprised but loyal, the friend accepted the money and went straight to the wise man’s house. He knocked, entered respectfully, and explained a made-up issue, pretending he needed guidance.
Two hours passed. The friend waited, trying not to look suspicious. The wise man watched him calmly, studying him with sharp eyes. Finally, the wise man spoke:
“Young man,” he said slowly, “you did not come here because of this silly problem. Something else brought you here. It’s better that you tell me the truth, because if you try to hide it, I will discover it myself — and then you will have real trouble.”
The friend panicked. His face turned pale. Realizing he couldn’t lie any longer, he confessed:
“My friend… he told me to come here and stay as long as possible. He said he wanted to go… to your wife.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then the wise man gave a sad smile and shook his head.
“My young friend,” he replied softly, “my wife has been dead for three years. So if your friend went to ‘my wife,’ I’m afraid he has actually gone… to yours.”
The friend felt his stomach drop as the truth hit him like a stone. In trying to deceive a wise man, his friend had deceived him instead.
And that day, the young man learned a painful but unforgettable lesson:
Those who plan betrayal often become victims of their own tricks.