A man stumbles upon a wallet containing $700.
A few days later, he notices a public notice: A wealthy man has lost his wallet and is offering a $50 reward for its return.
Wanting to do the right thing, the man tracks down the owner and hands over the wallet.
The rich man takes it, counts the money, and immediately frowns.
“I see you’ve already taken your reward,” he says.
“What are you talking about?” the poor man asks, confused.
“This wallet had $750 in it when I lost it.”
An argument breaks out, and soon enough, they find themselves in court. Each man states his case.
The wealthy man finishes with a confident, “Your Honor, surely you believe me.”
The judge nods. “Of course.”
The rich man grins smugly while the poor young man looks crushed, until the judge suddenly takes the wallet and hands it to him.
“Wait! What are you doing?” the rich man protests.
The judge calmly explains, “You are, without a doubt, an honest man. If you say your wallet had $750 in it, I believe you. But if this other man was a liar and a thief, he wouldn’t have returned the wallet at all. So clearly, this must belong to someone else. If the rightful owner comes forward, they’ll get the money. Otherwise, it stays with the man who found it.”
The rich man is furious. “But what about my money?”
The judge shrugs. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait until someone finds your wallet, with the $750 in it.”