Once there was a clever old woman who lived in the mountains. All the children came and asked her questions. She always gave the right answers.

One day, a naughty little boy caught a small bird and held it in his two hands. He said to his friends, “Let’s trick （戏弄） the old woman. I’ll ask her what’s in my hands. Of course, she’ll answer that I have a bird. Then I will ask her if the bird is living or dead. If she says the bird is dead, I’ll open my hands and let the bird fly away. If she says the bird is alive, I’ll quickly crush it and show her the dead bird. Either way, she’ll be wrong.” The children agreed that this was a clever plan. So they went to the old woman’s house.

“Granny, we have a question to ask you, ” they all said.

“What’s in my hands?” asked the little boy.

“Well, it must be a bird.”answered the old woman.

“But is it living or dead?” asked the excited boy.

The old woman thought for a moment and then answered, “It is up to you, my child.”

A prisoner（囚犯）found $1,000 outside while building a road near his prison. He gave it to the warden（监狱长）.

“What do you think you’re doing? You think you can bribe（贿赂）and buy your way to freedom? People like you are not honest.” the warden said.

The prisoner, believing that no one else in the world would ever trust （信任）him again, escaped from the prison that night. On his way, he stole（偷）people’s money and other things without thinking about it. He soon found a train and got on it, not knowing where he would go.

There were many people on the train. He had to stand next to the restroom. A woman walked into the restroom and found that its lock（锁）was broken.

She walked out and asked the prisoner. “Sir, can you watch this door for me while I’m inside? The lock is broken.” He was confused for a moment, but agreed to watch the door.

After the woman left, the prisoner had a change of heart. He realized that he could be trusted—and that he should right his wrongs. At the trains next stop, he got off the train.