The Hustler and the Offer.

This is a good example of a dishonest person or someone who is always suspicious missing an opportunity because they think that other people are dishonest as they are.

The tale is set in the hills of Cumbria, many years ago.

The story has it that a hustler knocked on the door of a farmhouse to scrounge some milk and a few eggs.

An old lady answered the door and gave him the eggs and milk he had asked for.

He was well known in the district, and he wasn’t particularly surprised when the old lady invited him in for coffee.

Once inside the farmhouse, the old lady pointed out through the kitchen window to her lovely daughter, who was at the time feeding the chickens.

The young woman had an hourglass figure, long blonde hair and a pretty face.

The old lady said to the Hustler, “If you take my daughter’s hand in marriage, you can have the farm and all the money we have in the bank.”

The hustler gulped down his coffee, ﬂed the farmhouse and drove his horse and cart back to his mother’s dilapidated cottage.

When the hustler told his mother of the incident, they were both of the same opinion. There must be a catch; they would be sure to lose something.

They spent many hours puzzling over this but came to no conclusion.

Some years later, the hustler was in the same area and again came across the farmhouse where the incident took place, although by that time he had forgotten all about it. He knocked on the door to ask for some eggs and to his surprise, the beautiful daughter opened it.

His mind raced back and he remembered her mother asking him to take the daughter’s hand in marriage, the farm and the money.

Curious, the hustler could not help asking, “What was the catch, all those years ago, when your mother asked me to marry you?”

The girl replied, ”No catch at all, I simply fell in love with you, but was too shy to get to know you. So my mother asked for me. Alas, she is dead now and I myself have married the farmer on yonder farm.”

The hustler walked away, numbed by his experience.

You see, the hustler had nothing, nothing at all, he never did have.

When he was offered the girl’s hand in marriage, the farm, all the money in the bank, all he could think of was, “What was the catch, what would he lose?”

The moral of the story: — WHEN YOU HAVE EVERYTHING TO GAIN AND NOTHING TO LOSE — DO IT NOW.