5
Another day Jesus Christ and His disciples dined at a tavern.[9]
‘What’s to pay?’ said Jesus Christ, when they had finished their meal.
‘Nothing at all,’ answered the host.
But the host had a little hunchback son, who said to him, ‘I know some have found it answer to give these people food instead of making them pay for it; but suppose they forget to give us anything, we shall be worse off than if we had been paid in the regular way. I will tell you what I’ll do now, so as to have a hold over them. I’ll take one of our silver spoons and put it in the bag that one of them carries, and accuse them of stealing it.’
Now St. Peter was a great eater, and when anything was left over from a good meal he was wont to put it by in a bag against a day when they had nothing. Into this bag therefore the hunchback put the silver spoon.
When they had gone on a little way the young hunchback ran after them and said to Jesus Christ,—
‘Signore! one of these with you has stolen a spoon from us.’
‘You are mistaken, friend; there is not one of them who would do such a thing.’
‘Yes,’ persevered the hunchback; ‘it is that one who took it,’ and he pointed to St. Peter.