White and Black Pebble
Many years ago in a small town, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large amount of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgot the farmer's debt if he could marry her daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender's wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail. They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. A