In a lush, green valley lived a hardworking farmer named Samuel. Through years of sweat and care, he had built a magnificent mango orchard. The mangoes in his garden were famous for being the sweetest in the entire region.
One golden afternoon, while Samuel was inspecting his trees, he spotted a stranger perched high on the branches of his finest mango tree. The man was greedily plucking ripe fruit and tossing them into a bag.
"Excuse me, sir," Samuel called out calmly. "Please stop. This is my orchard. I have spent years nurturing these trees. You cannot simply take what I have worked so hard to grow without permission."
The stranger looked down with a mocking grin. "Don't be silly! The world belongs to nature. These trees, this soil, and these fruits are all gifts from the universe. Why should I ask a mere human for permission to take what is naturally available?"
Samuel realized that arguing with words would be useless. He calmly went to his shed and returned with a long, sturdy wooden staff. He asked the man to climb down, and once the stranger was on the ground, Samuel stood before him.
"Since you believe everything belongs to nature," Samuel began, "then this ground you stand on is nature's. This wooden staff in my hand is also a product of nature. Therefore, if I use this natural staff to correct your behavior, you cannot complain, can you?"
The stranger froze. He realized the absurdity of his own logic. He had used the idea of 'nature' to justify his theft, but he couldn't use that same logic to escape the consequences of his actions.
"Using grand words to hide a small heart is wrong," Samuel said softly. Realizing his mistake, the stranger bowed his head and walked away, never to steal again.
Moral
One should not use noble excuses to justify dishonest actions.
