A dying man gathered his lawyer, doctor and clergyman at his bedside and handed each of them an envelope containing $25,000 in cash. He made them each promise that after his death and during his repose, they would place the three envelops in his coffin. He told them that he wanted to have enough money to enjoy the next life. A week later the man died. At the Wake, the lawyer and doctor and clergyman, each concealed an envelope in the coffin and bid their old client and friend farewell. By chance, these three met several months later. Soon the Clergyman, feeling guilty, blurted out a confession saying that there was only $10,000 in the envelope he placed in the coffin. He felt, rather than waste all the money, he would send it to a Mission in South America. He asked for their forgiveness. The Doctor, moved by the gentle Clergyman's sincerity, confessed that he too had kept some of the money for a worthy medical charity. The envelope, he admitted, had only $8000 in it. The lawyer expressed his deep disappointment in the felonious behavior of two of his oldest and most trusted friends. “I am the only one who kept my promise to our dying friend. I want you both to know that the envelope I placed in the coffin contained the full amount. Indeed, my envelope contained my personal check for the entire $25,000.”
一個快死的人把他的律師、醫(yī)生和牧師叫到他的床前,給他們每人一個裝有兩萬五千美元現(xiàn)金的信封。他讓他們每個人都承諾,在他入殮的時候,他們會把這三個信封放進他的棺材。他說他希望下一輩子能有足夠的錢花。一星期以后他死了。在守靈的時候,律師、醫(yī)生和牧師每個人都把一個信封放進棺材,并且和他們的老客戶、老朋友告別。幾個月以后,這三個人碰巧又見面了。牧師帶著負罪感很快就懺悔說,他放進棺材里的那個信封只裝了一萬美元。他覺得,與其浪費所有的錢,不如寄一些給南美的傳教士。他請求他們的原諒。被牧師的真誠所感動,醫(yī)生也懺悔說,他給一個有價值的醫(yī)學(xué)慈善機構(gòu)留了一些錢。他承認信封里只裝了八千美元。律師對他的兩位最老、最信任的朋友的嚴重犯罪行為表示深深的失望。他說:“我是唯一的對我們將死的朋友信守承諾的人。我想讓你們倆知道,我把全額都裝進了棺材。確實,我的信封里裝有我的個人支票兩萬五千美元?!?