THE SILVER KEY

   

     The night was stormy. It rained heavily. The wind howled like a wild beast. 

     A lonely traveller made his way slowly through the rough weather. He came up to an inn and knocked at the door.

     The inn-keeper was a greedy man. He said from within that he had lost the key. The traveller was very wise. He pushed in a silver coin through a chink in the door. The cunning inn-keeper took it. He opened the door. The traveller got in and asked the inn-keeper to go out and fetch his bag.

      The inn-keeper went out. He did not find any bag. The traveller had played a trick on him. The inn-keeper returned to the door. He found it shut, so he knocked. The traveller inside asked him to slip in the 'silver key.' The inn-keeper had to push the silver coin in. Immediately, the door was opened. 

     Thus, the cunning inn-keeper was paid back in the same coin.