Story: 16 David and Tom

Once upon a time, there was a man named David who lived in a small village. David had a best friend named Tom who he had known since they were children. They did everything together and were inseparable.

One day, a wealthy merchant came to the village and offered to pay a large sum of money to whoever could retrieve a rare gemstone from a dangerous lair in the nearby mountains. David and Tom both saw this as an opportunity to become rich and decided to work together to retrieve the gemstone.

After several days of hard work, they finally reached the lair and retrieved the gemstone. As they were about to leave, Tom suddenly betrayed David by pushing him down a cliff and taking the gemstone for himself.

David miraculously survived the fall and made his way back to the village. When he told the people what had happened, they were shocked and saddened. The merchant, upon hearing of the betrayal, refused to pay Tom for the gemstone, as he believed that a man who would betray his friend was not deserving of the reward.

Feeling defeated and alone, David left the village to start a new life. He took solace in the fact that justice had been served, and that his former friend would not prosper from his deceit.

Years went by, and David became a successful and respected man in a far-off land. One day, he received a letter from Tom, who was now a broken man, living in poverty and begging for forgiveness. David was torn, as he still felt hurt and betrayed, but he also knew the value of forgiveness.

In the end, David forgave Tom, and the two old friends were reunited. David realized that sometimes people make mistakes, but that it is always possible to find redemption and forgiveness. And Tom learned that true friendship and love are priceless, and that betrayal only leads to loneliness and regret