One day, a General invited some of his officers to dine with him. As they stood about chatting before the meal, the general showed his guests a beautiful gold snuff-box which he had just purchased. The snuff-box was passed around, as everyone admired and commented on it. Their pleasant conversation lasted a little while longer, after which they then sat down to dinner.

During the course of the meal, the General went to take a pinch of snuff. However, when he put his hand into his pocket, he found the snuff-box was not there. “Where is my snuff-box?” he asked in astonishment. “I thought I had put it back in my pocket.” He searched for it everywhere near him, but with no success. Turning to his guests he said “Gentlemen, would you be so kind as to see if any of you have put the box in his pocket by mistake?” Obligingly, the guests rose and pulled their pockets inside out, showing that the box was not in there. But, one by one, the officers turned expectantly at the only one who remained sitting, an ensign. This junior ranking officer was evidently worried at what was happening.

“I will not turn out my pockets” he told the others, “but I give you my word of honour that the snuff-box is not in any of them.” He looked around at the silent, yet penetrating stares. No one said anything and they all sat back down. Raised eyebrows and strange glances where exchanged as the meal awkwardly resumed.

Soon after the dinner, the guests made to leave. All were firmly convinced that the ensign had stolen the valuable snuff-box and none failed to show it. Even the General eyed the boy with a piercing look which clearly said, “You are the thief.” The young man felt this bitterly, but said nothing and left with the others.

The next morning, as a servant was brushing the General's clothes, he felt something unusual about the edges. Feeling around, he slipped his hand inside the coat's lining. There was the missing snuff-box! The pocket apparently had a hole hidden in the lining which went unnoticed in last night’s search.

The General was stunned when he saw the missing box placed into his hands. Understanding everything, he immediately sent for the ensign. He told the young man how sorry he was that he had suspected him of having stolen his box. With genuine curiosity, the General asked the soldier, “Tell me, why didn't you show that it was not in your pockets as all the others did?”

The young man hesitated. “Since you have asked me, my General, I will tell you, but you alone. My parents are very poor. I save for them the small pay I receive, and at dinner I eat very little, so that I may give them some food. I had my usual allowance in my pocket, and was on my way to give it to them when you so kindly invited me to dine with you. Therefore, if I had turned out my pockets as the others did, the food would have fallen out, and you can easily guess what would have been the consequence. The others would have been surprised, and would have laughed at me. And to evade telling them the truth of why I was carrying such things in my pocket would have been impossible, which would have been a keen humiliation for my poor parents.”

The General was very much moved by his young friend's touching story. “You are a dutiful son,” he said at last. “From this day forward you shall dine with me every day, so that you may be better able to assist your parents.” The soldier, in turn, was touched with his commander's generousity and, thanking him wholeheartedly, promised to return that very evening.

But the young man's gratitude turned to astonishment when he found that he was not the only guest invited. The General had summoned all the officers that had been there the previous night. He began this evening like the other and showed them all his snuff box, explaining whose pocket it had really been in. He then further disclosed the true motives behind the strange conduct of the ensign which had led them all to rashly look upon him as the thief.

Astonishment and admiration swept through the military and glances of a much different nature were cast upon the young soldier, who shifted somewhat awkwardly. The general, however, smiled broadly and told him that such heroic conduct was worthy of being known everywhere, as it revealed an equally noble and generous soul.

Then, with a kind look in his eye, the General took the modest man’s hand into his own and left something in it. “As a testimony of my esteem,” he said, “I present you this same golden snuff-box which has been the fortunate cause of making such a noble action known to us.”