It’s market day and the poor crooked farmers are on their way

“Some of these fellows dragged a cow or a calf at the end of a rope”                                       To get the best price and make a little is all that they hoped for

One poor man entered the square and saw a piece of string passing by

Although not of any real value that little string caught his eye

The man reflected that everything was worth picking up could be of any use                            So even though as embarrassed as his enemy looked he couldn’t let this little treasure fly lose

He pretended to study the ground

To make his enemy think there was noting to be found

Onto the market they all went

Made their deals and at the inn they spent

Suddenly the drum began to beat in the courtyard before the house

The crier bought their attention and quieted their rouse

The message said that a wallet was lost

It was their honesty that was the cost

Return the wallet with a reward to be had

But if you know the their then name the bad

The countryman with the string was named as the taker

But when he protested they thought he was a faker

He thought that telling the truth would innocence bring

“And fumbling at the bottom of his pocket, he pulled out of it the little end of string”

The accusers only laughed and jeered

Even when another returned the wallet they only sneered

The more he protested the more they hated

And the anger only made him more graded

“Nothing does you so much harm as being in disgrace for lying”

And so the man tried to clear his name

But only got sick and ended up dying.