He made the decision to present the businessman with a
proposal that would entirely erase the amount owing to him. But there was a
catch—we would forgive the loan only if he could wed the businessman's
daughter. This idea, it goes without saying, was welcomed with contempt.
The loan shark promised to put one white and one black stone
inside a bag.
The daughter would next have to select a stone by reaching
into the bag. If it was black, however, the loan shark would then wed her even
though the debt would be erased. The debt would also be erased if it were
white, but the daughter would not be required to wed the loan-shark.
The loan shark was standing on a path lined with pebbles in
the businessman's garden. He bowed down and picked up two pebbles. The daughter
saw that when he was picking them up, he picked up two black stones and put
them both inside the bag.
Then he instructed the daughter to select one by reaching
into the bag.
Naturally, the daughter had three options for what she might
have done:
Refuse to take a stone out of the bag.
Pull both pebbles out of the bag to call the loan shark out
on his deception.
Pick a black stone out of the bag knowing full well that it
would be her sacrifice in exchange for her father's freedom.
Before even glancing at it, she pulled a pebble out of the
bag and "accidentally" dropped it among the other stones. As she
addressed the loan shark,
Oh, how foolish I was. Never worry, you can tell which
pebble I chose if you search the bag for the one that is still there.
Since the pebble the daughter dropped was obviously black
and the loan shark didn't want to be discovered, he had to pretend that the
stone was white in order to pay off her father's debt.