The Old Woman and the Physician

英语自学网

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, applied 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, standing 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 chattels 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."