Two Men were buying meat at a Butcher's stall in the market-place, and, while the Butcher's back was turned for a moment, one of them snatched up a joint and hastily thrust it under the other's cloak, where it could not be seen. When the Butcher turned round, he missed the meat at once, and charged them with having stolen it: but the one who had taken it said he hadn't got it, and the one who had got it said he hadn't taken it. The Butcher felt sure they were deceiving him, but he only said, “You may cheat me with your lying, but you can't cheat the gods, and they won't let you off so lightly.”
Prevarication often amounts to perjury.
有两个人在市集上一个肉贩子的摊位前，想要买肉。肉贩子转身的工夫，其中一个抓起一大块肉匆匆忙忙塞到了另一个人的斗篷下面，藏了起来。肉贩子转过身来，立刻就发现肉不见了，指责那两个人偷了肉。但拿了肉的那个人说自己并没有得到肉，而有肉的那个人说自己并没有拿。肉贩子认定他们骗他，但他只是说：“你们的谎言可以骗我，但是你们骗不了神，他们不会就这么放过你们的。”
训诫：搪塞通常就是在撒谎。