According to a 19th-century legend, the Truth and the Lie meet one
day. The Lie says to the Truth: "It's a marvelous 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 undress and start bathing.
Suddenly,
the Lie comes out of the water, puts on the clothes of the Truth, and
runs away. The furious Truth comes out of the well and runs everywhere
to find the Lie and to get her clothes back. The World, seeing the Truth
naked, turns its gaze away, with contempt and rage. The poor Truth
returns to the well and disappears forever, hiding therein, its shame.
Since then, the Lie travels around the world, dressed as the Truth,
satisfying the needs of society, because, the World, in any case,
harbors no wish at all to meet the naked Truth. ~~ The world-famous painting- "The Truth coming out of the well" Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1896.
