According to a 19th century legend, the Truth and the Lie met one day. The Lie says to the Truth: "It's a marvellous day today"! The Truth looks up to the skies and sighs, for the day was really beautiful. They spend a lot of time together, ultimately arriving beside a well. The Lie tells the Truth: "The water is very nice, let's take a bath together!" The Truth, once again suspicious, tests the water and discovers that it indeed is very nice. They undressed and started bathing.
Suddenly, the Lie came out of the water, put on the clothes of the Truth and ran away. The furious Truth came out of the well and ran everywhere to find the Lie and to recover his clothes back. The World, seeing the Truth naked, turned its gaze away, with contempt and rage.
The poor Truth returned to the well and disappeared forever, hiding in the well with shame. Since then, the Lie has been traveling around the world dressed as the Truth, satisfying the needs of society because the World, in any case harbours no wish at all to meet the naked Truth.
By Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1896.
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