Short Story 2: The boy and the robbers

The boy and the robbers - James Baldwin

In Persia, when Cyrus the Great was king, boys were taught to tell thetruth. This was one of their first lessons at home and at school.
"None but a coward will tell a falsehood," said the father of youngOtanes.
"Truth is beautiful. Always love it," said his mother.
When Otanes was twelve years old, his parents wished to send him toa distant city to study in a famous school that was there. It wouldbe a long journey and a dangerous one. So it was arranged that the boyshould travel with a small company of merchants who were goingto the same place. "Good-by, Otanes! Be always brave and truthful,"said his father. "Farewell, my child! Love that which is beautiful.Despise that which is base," said his mother.
The little company began its long journey. Some of the men rode oncamels, some on horses. They went but slowly, for the sun was hot andthe way was rough.
Suddenly, towards evening, a band of robbers swooped down upon them.The merchants were not fighting men. They could do nothing but giveup all their goods and money.
"Well, boy, what have you got?" asked one of the robbers, as he pulledOtanes from his horse.
"Forty pieces of gold" answered the lad.
The robber laughed. He had never heard of a boy with so much money asthat.
"That is a good story" he said. "Where do you carry your gold?"
"It is in my hat, underneath the lining," answered Otanes.
"Oh, well! You can't make me believe that," said the robber; and hehurried away to rob one of the rich merchants.
Soon another came up and said, "My boy, do you happen to have any goldabout you?"
"Yes! Forty pieces, in my hat, said Otanes.
"You are a brave lad to be joking with robbers" said the man; and healso hurried on to a more promising field.
At length the chief of the band called to Otanes and said, "Youngfellow, have you anything worth taking?"
Otanes answered, "I have already told two of your men that I have fortypieces of gold in my hat. But they wouldn't believe me."
"Take off your hat," said the chief.
The boy obeyed. The chief tore out the lining and found the gold hiddenbeneath it.
"Why did you tell us where to find it?" he asked. "No one would havethought that a child like you had gold about him."
"If I had answered your questions differently, I should have told alie," said Otanes; "and none but cowards tell lies"
The robber chief was struck by this answer. He thought of the numberof times that he himself had been a coward. Then he said, "You are abrave boy, and you may keep your gold. Here it is. Mount your horse,and my own men will ride with you and see that you reach the end ofyour journey in safety."Otanes, in time, became one of the famous men of his country. He wasthe advisor and friend of two of the kings who succeeded Cyrus.

Eigen mening

uitgewerkt in plot, character, theme etc.

Dit is een heel erg leuk verhaal en ik raad iedereen dan ook aan om dit verhaal te lezen. Het verhaal is op een hele grappige en op een sprookjesachtige wijze verteld. Deze short story deed me een beetje denken aan het sprookje van Aladin, want daar had je ook allemaal rovers en mensen die goud zochten.

Het thema (de boodschap) in dit verhaal bevat een oud gezegde: eerlijkheid duurt het langst. De jongen in dit verhaal vertelt de hele tijd eerlijk dat hij 40 goude muntstukken in zijn hoed heeft, maar hij wordt door de rovers niet gelooft. De jongen blijft volhouden dat hij echt 40 muntstukken in zijn hoed heeft en hij laat dit uiteindelijk ook zien. De rovers vragen waarom hij de waarheid heeft verteld en dan antwoord de jongen dat mensen die liegen lafaards zijn. De rovers denken na over hoe vaak zij hebben gelogen en besluiten de jongen te laten gaan, omdat hij geen lafaard is.
Als de jongen ouder is wordt hij beloond (goede baan, bekendheid), omdat hij altijd zo eerlijk is geweest.

Het verhaal speelt zich af in Persië en dat vind ik ook wel een goede achtergrond voor het verhaal. Persië heeft namelijk een woestijnachtig gebied en er komen ook paarden in het verhaal voor. Dit geeft het zo'n arabische sfeer (net als bij Aladin) en daarom vind ik de setting zo goed bij het verhaal passen.