One day, a father sent his son to a neighboring cottage to deliver a message. When the boy came into the room he found no one there. In the solitary silence, one thing caught his eye. Sitting on the table was a basket filled with the most delicious looking apples. As the lad waited, a tempting thought entered his mind.

"Take one of those nice apples," the temptation whispered. "No one sees you."

The boy alone heard these thoughts within his head and he answered their thieving proposal with their own logic. "No," he said out loud, "I will not take one, for God sees me."

At that moment, a man, whose presence had remained unnoticed, came out from behind a screen.

"You are a good lad," he congratulated warmly. "For you have the fear of God before your eyes."

He then ended his praise with an offer. "Take as many apples as you like," he told the startled boy, "you are welcome to them."