“JOHNNY,” said a farmer to his little boy, “it’s time to go the pasture and drive the cows home,” Johnny was playing ball, and the pasture was a long way off. But he was accustomed to obey promptly, so he started without a word, as fast as he could go.
Being in a hurry to get back to play, he only half let down the bars, and then hurried the cattle through. One fine cow, in trying to get over, stumbled and broke her leg.
Johnny stood by the poor suffering creature, and said to himself, “Nov, what shall I do? That is the best cow Father has; it will have to be killed, and that will be a great loss to Father. What shall I tell him? "
“Tell him,” whispered the tempter, —the same tempter that came to the Lord Jesus—“tell him you found the bars half down, and the cow lying there.”
“No, I can’t say that, for that would be a lie.”
“Tell him,” whispered the tempter again, “that while you were driving the cows that big boy of farmer Brown’s threw stones, and hurried the cow so that she fell.”
“No, no,” said Johnny. “I’ll tell Father the truth. It was all my fault. I was in a hurry; I frightened the poor creature, and she fell and broke her leg.”
As soon as he had made this brave resolution, he ran home as fast as he could, as if he was afraid the tempter would catch him. He went straight to his father and told the whole truth. And what did his father do?
He laid his hand on Johnny’s head, and said: “I’m very sorry to lose that cow; but I would rather lose every cow I own than have my dear boy tell an untruth!” O, how happy Johnny felt that God had given him grace to do the right thing! He had been tried, but he had “come forth as gold.” Truth is golden, and Johnny had told the truth. Honesty is golden, and Johnny had acted honestly. Honor is a golden thing, and Johnny had behaved honorably tard his father. And he felt in his own heart the reward God gives to those who get the victory over temptation.
ML-09/04/1960