George lived in a village on a small island. It was a peaceful village except for a bandit who, from time to time, would attack the villagers on the road, stealing all they carried. The villagers gathered together to discuss their problem. One of them mentioned she had an uncle, who was a Samurai, an honorable man and highly skilled in combat. The villagers voted to hire him to rid them of the bandit.

Everyone was in favor except George, who had never personally been robbed, and felt it was a waste of money. But the others pointed out that he too would benefit, because he may yet be assaulted and robbed as well. But George refused to go along.

The Samurai accompanied the villagers on the road, and, sure enough, one day the bandit jumped out of the woods demanding their goods. The Samurai quickly dispatched the thief.

Having done what he was hired to do, the Samurai visited each of the villagers to collect his fee. But when he got to George, George refused, saying he never went along with the decision.

The Samurai went back to the village and asked who would pay the share that George owed. The villagers were furious. They marched over to George’s house, grabbed him, put him in a canoe, and told him he would have to find some other island to live on.

And everyone else lived happily ever after.

Moral: It’s best to pay your share, even if you disagree.