Reading Notes, The Giant Crab Tales: The Dishonest Friend

The man taking away his friend's child.

(Source: In the Giant Crab Tales by W. Rouse, illustrated by W. Robinson)

Once upon a time, there was this guy that wanted to go on a trip and he asked a friend to take care of his plough when he was gone. The friend said yes and he said he would take great care of it, but as soon as he left, he sold his friend's plough and kept the money. When the man came back, he asked his friend for the plough and his friends said that his house was infested with rats and one very big rat ate his blough. The man could not believe that his friend has to deal with such an infestation but he understood why his plough was eaten. The next day, the man took his friend's son out for a walk and then took him to another one of his friend's house and basically held him hostage there for a second. He went back to the father's boy and his friend asked him where his son was. The man told him that a hawk swooped down and carried him away. His friend accused him of lying and killing his son and demanded that they took this conflict in fron to fa judge. They went to a judge and told him their sides of the story. The man told him that a hawk carried his friend's son off and the judge said, "Who has ever hear dof a hawk carrying off a boy?" The man said, "Well, my honor. Who has ever heard of a rat eating a plough?” “What is that supposed to mean?” asked the judge. The man told the judge about his plough and saw that the man's friend lied to him. He told hi that maybe if he straightens out the problem with the plough, he will see his son again. The man's friend got him his ploug back and he got his son back. 

SourceL From The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse with illustrations by W. Robinson, online at: Internet Archive. The Dishonest Friend.