Perceptions #200045

"The Mark on the Forehead"

by Unknown Author

Two brothers, convicted of stealing sheep, were branded on the forehead with the letters S. T., meaning Sheep Thief. One of the brothers was unable to bear the stigma and tried to bury himself in a foreign land. But men asked him about the strange letters, so he kept on wandering relentlessly, and at length, full of bitterness, died and was buried far from home.

The other brother said to himself, "I can't run away from the fact that I stole sheep. I will stay here and win back the respect of my neighbors and myself.

As the years passed, he built a reputation for integrity. One day, a stranger came and saw the old man with the letters on his forehead. He asked what they signified.

"It happened a great while ago," said the villager. "I have forgotten the particulars, but I think the letters are an abbreviation of Saint."

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