Once upon a time, there was a carpet merchant. He had his small business, a beautiful daughter, and a bad habit of borrowing money from a loan shark to keep his business running. When the sum owed was quite large, the loan shark came to collect.

The lender was a crafty fellow. He’d had his eye on the lovely daughter for some time, and now he’d found a way to win her. He offered to erase the merchant’s debt in exchange for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The girl was horrified, and the merchant refused to make such a deal.

The shark proposed a little gamble. “Let’s put two pebbles in this bag—a black one, and a white one—and let your daughter draw one out. If she pulls out the white one, I will wipe out your debt. If she pulls out the black one, I will still wipe out your debt, but she must marry me, into the bargain.”

I like them odds

The merchant was tempted by the odds, and reluctantly agreed. The loan shark bent down to scoop up two stones from the pebble-strewn path on which they stood, and the daughter saw that both the stones he put into the bag were black.

“What shall I do?” she wondered. “Shall I draw out a black stone and sacrifice myself for my father’s happiness? Shall I refuse to participate in this silly gamble and leave my father at the mercy of this unscrupulous shark? Or shall I open the bag and expose the rat for the cheat he is?”

Think fast

By this time, a small crowd had gathered to see the outcome of the venture. The daughter reached into the bag and pulled out a stone, but before anyone could see it, she “accidentally” dropped it back onto the pebbled path.

“Oh dear, how clumsy of me,” she said. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. If you look into the bag and see what’s left, you’ll be able to tell which stone I pulled out.”

With the crowd watching, there was little the man could do but reach in and reveal the black stone. He was forced to honor the terms of the deal. He cleared the merchant’s debt, and went back to watching the daughter from afar, scheming for another way to capture her for himself.

Story + Music = Bonus Plan!

I thought you might enjoy a fun little story, quick and easy to read. I’m always working to bring more story into your life, and recently I’ve been busy on a new project to make it even easier for you. I’m bringing story and music—two of my biggest passions—together, in a series of samples and full-length stories you can listen to.

It’s great to be able to get your daily dose of story while driving, exercising, doing household chores, or simply relaxing. I hope you’ll go to Joslyn Chase Audio, from my Extras tab, or access the link from the individual book pages, and give them a listen. Also, check back regularly to see what I’ve added.

I appreciate you!

Thank you for reading, for listening, for enjoying the products of my efforts. I’m passionately dedicated to helping you get more story into your life!

How about you? Are you sold on the benefits of story? Do you see ways that story makes your life easier, more enjoyable, more meaningful?  Tell us about it in the comments.