Who Will Know?

In honor of National Bagel Day

Who Will Know?

Simon met a baker’s boy going to the market. He was carrying long sticks full of bagels. Simon’s mouth watered just to see them. He sped forward and snatch three off one of the sticks.
“Stop! You’re going to get into trouble! ” His mouth full, Simon couldn’t answer back, he sped up.
Soon the boy was left behind. Greedily, Simon ate all three bagels one after the other. They lay heavy on his stomach and began to cause him pain.
“I should have eaten slowly. I should have saved two for other days. I shouldn’t have taken them in the first place!” he told himself as he doubled over. Finally, he lay down on the side of the road and fell asleep.
“Wake up. You can’t sleep here,” a gruff voice said and was poked him with a hard stick. Simon cracked an eyelid to find the local constable standing over him.
“Move along, son,” the man said. Simon got up slowly. He groaned loudly. “What’s wrong, boy?” Simon didn’t want to say. The constable grabbed his arm and began to haul him to the jail. “You can stay in a cell until you answer me properly.”
Simon begged for some water. The policeman brought him a tin cup full. Just as he finished it happened. The bagels began to swell in his stomach. He threw them up all over the cell floor!
“You know, the baker’s boy told me about being robbed. Was it you?” Simon could only nod. The constable shook his head. “It seemed you learned your lesson partly. You’ll have to clean up this mess, then for three days clean up whatever needs cleaning around here, to pay your fine.”
Simon did as he was told, then fell onto the cot, fast asleep.