The Weaver's Wife

In a busy weaving village lived a skilled weaver and his wife. Their home was modest, but they were known for offering food and rest to travellers.

One evening, a learned traveller named Godly arrived at their door. The weaver welcomed him warmly. “Please rest here,” he said. “I must deliver a length of cloth before the market closes, but my wife will look after you.”

The weaver’s wife had already promised her friend Meera that she would visit the lantern festival. Instead of explaining the problem honestly, she whispered, “Sit at my loom and wear my blue shawl. Our guest will think I am working. I shall return very soon.”

Meera did not like the plan, but she agreed because she did not want to disappoint her friend.

The traveller noticed that the woman at the loom seemed uneasy. The shawl had the right colour, but its border was different. He said nothing and waited.

The weaver returned earlier than expected. “Was our guest given supper?” he asked. Meera did not know what to say. When he asked about a new dye order, she became even more confused.

Just then, the weaver’s wife slipped through the doorway. She tried to claim that she had never left, but one hurried answer led to another. Soon everyone was tangled in the secret.

Godly spoke gently. “A loose thread can be repaired before it knots the whole cloth. I saw what happened. No one needs another excuse. What is needed now is the truth.”

The weaver’s wife lowered her eyes. She apologized to the guest for neglecting him, to Meera for asking her to carry the lie, and to her husband for hiding her plan.

The weaver was disappointed, yet he listened. “You could have asked,” he said. “A home stays strong when its people speak truthfully.”

Together they prepared a simple meal for their guest. The next evening, after the work was finished, all four visited the lantern festival openly.

The weaver’s wife never forgot how quickly one secret had trapped everyone around her. From then on, she chose an honest conversation before a clever excuse.