The Old Lion

　　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."