Abe Lincoln and the Six Pennies

Before he became the President of the United States, young Abraham Lincoln worked as a clerk in a small country store in New Salem, Illinois.

Abe was a favorite among the customers. He was kind, funny, and always helpful. But most of all, he was known for being trustworthy.

One evening, a woman came into the store to buy some goods. Abe weighed out the tea she wanted and took her money. It was late in the day, providing the last sale, and soon after, he closed the shop.

Later that night, as Abe was counting the day’s earnings by candlelight, he realized he had made a mistake. The scales had been slightly off balance. He had charged the woman six cents too much!

Now, six cents doesn’t sound like a lot today, but back then, it was a fair amount of money.

“I can’t keep this,” Abe thought. “It doesn’t belong to me.”

Most people might have thought, “Oh well, I’ll pay her back next time she comes in.” But not Abe. He looked outside. It was dark, and the woman lived several miles away.

Abe closed up the store, buttoned his coat, and started walking. He walked mile after mile through the dark, quiet countryside until he reached the woman’s farmhouse.

He knocked on the door. When the surprised woman opened it, Abe explained his mistake and handed her the six cents.

“You walked all this way just for six cents?” she exclaimed.

“It was your money, ma’am,” Abe replied simply. “I couldn’t sleep knowing I had taken what wasn’t mine.”

Stories like this spread quickly around the town. Everyone began to trust him completely, and soon, he earned the nickname that would stay with him forever: “Honest Abe.”

Moral of the Story: Being honest is important, even in small things, and even when no one is watching.