When the invitation arrived at Mrs. Cohen's home, she was sure it was a mistake in the address. What did she have to do with the court? She had never visited the place, and she had no business with the authorities or the police. But her name appeared in clear letters on the envelope, and she realized that she would have no choice but to check the source of the "mistake." She contacted the district attorney's office with the letter in her hand and tried to find out with the local clerks whether the letter sent to her was indeed intended for her.
Surprisingly, the assistant district attorney told her in a quiet voice and with a sealed face that the letter was indeed intended for her and that he would recommend that she seek the help of a first-class lawyer. He added that this was a serious tax offense that could send her to prison for many years.
A frightened Mrs. Cohen immediately turned to her friends for help, who recommended her a lawyer who was considered an expert in the field of taxation. She urgently scheduled an appointment with him, and when the time came, she sat down in front of him and tried to answer his questions: "Do you have a business?" the lawyer asked. 'No,' the woman replied, 'My husband works as an employee at the local post office.' The lawyer looked at her in surprise but continued with his questions: 'Did they transfer money through you or through your bank account?'
"They never transferred money through me..." Mrs. Cohen said with complete confidence. The lawyer scratched his head in embarrassment and said: 'If you are 100% convinced that you have never run any business, or that there has never been an unusual activity in your bank account, I suggest that you deny everything. Maybe they're just trying to figure out what it's all about...'
Mrs. Cohen thanked the lawyer and after paying him his fees, she said: 'There may be one thing that may be why I received the letter. About a year ago, a candy company that markets 'surprise eggs' made of chocolate published a riddle that could win a big prize. My little son sent the solution to the riddle to the company and we won a prize that included 100 chocolate surprise eggs, in which a small surprise for the children was hidden, such as a plastic car or a small doll. We had nothing to do with 100 surprise eggs. So I suggested that my son sell 90 of the eggs to the children in the neighborhood for a small sum of two shekels. And with the money we collect, we can buy a bigger gift, such as a reading book or a valuable toy...'
The lawyer laughed and said: 'There is no need to report such a thing, the police and the court did not summon you for not reporting the tax of the sale of surprise eggs made of chocolate...' But Mrs. Cohen remained in her place and said determinedly: 'I must tell you that I never lied, and I do not intend to do so now. If I am asked, I will tell about the sale of these eggs, and if I have to bear the punishment – I will take it upon myself with full understanding!' The lawyer looked at the woman in bewilderment mixed with pity: "Don't do that stupidity, they'll still think you had a serious candy business. I warn you not to mention it!' Mrs. Cohen did not respond and left the office in silence.
Two months passed and the day of the trial arrived. Mrs. Cohen, accompanied by her husband and the lawyer, appeared in court, where she was surprised to discover representatives from the media and the press, high-ranking officers and senior members of the State Attorney's Office. "Did all these people come because of a tax trial?" the lawyer wondered, and whispered about the warning to Mrs. Cohen: "Don't admit anything, you don't work and your husband is a clerk at the post office." Mrs. Cohen did not reply, and sat down on the defendants' bench. The judge came in, and the court clerk demanded that everyone stand up. The judge instructed the district attorney to begin his remarks, and he elaborated on the seriousness of fraudulent offenses in illegal trade, and then turned directly to Mrs. Cohen: 'Do you work in any kind of job, ma'am?'
"No!" the woman replied in a clear and confident voice. But the prosecutor continued to ask, "Have you worked in the past or operated a business in your home?" The lawyer held his breath and heard Mrs. Cohen reply in disappointment: "Yes sir, about a year ago we held a small sale of sweets..."
"What sweets?" the plaintiff asked, to the surprise of the audience, and Mrs. Cohen replied: "Surprise eggs made of chocolate..." The plaintiff looked disappointed, but kept asking: "Do you remember anything special from this sale?" Mrs. Cohen nodded her head in the affirmative, and said: "There was one small thing. One of the children returned the surprise egg, claiming that instead of a gift, the egg contained a piece of stone or glass. Of course, we compensated him immediately and brought him another egg..."
"And where is the damaged egg?" the prosecutor asked, "at our house," the woman answered. The prosecutor exchanged a few words with the judge, who announced: "The police will accompany Mrs. Cohen, and the egg in question will be transferred to the court. After that, the lady is free and innocent of any guilt..."
"Can you explain to me what's going on here?" Mrs. Cohen's lawyer demanded to know. The prosecutor at the trial did not answer him, and instead, he stood before the journalists surrounding him and explained: "In recent months we have received information about a precious diamond that was stolen, hidden in a surprise chocolate egg. The traces led directly to the Cohen family, who held the chocolate egg, in which the diamond was hidden. We suspected that the family belonged to a gang of sophisticated diamond thieves. And we tried to surprise her with a mock trial about taxes. But then the woman innocently admitted to the small sale she had made in her home and explained what it was, we understood that this was not a criminal but an innocent woman who did not even know that she was in possession of a precious diamond. Now the diamond will return to its original owner, and Mrs. Cohen is free of all guilt..."
The lawyer approached Mrs. Cohen and said to her shamefully: 'Thank you for insisting on telling the truth, if you had denied the sale, it is very possible that you would have found yourself in prison for many years...'
