The calligraphy of the house owner which was displayed on the wall.[Photo/sjznews.com]

Poem dissuades thief from burglary

People may invest in fancy alarm systems or locks to keep thieves out, but one house owner's poem was even more effective than a lock in dissuading a thief in Shijiazhuang.

A thief broke in a house in a village in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. Instead, he not only stole nothing, but even left a hundred yuan ($17) and a note on the table, reported sjznews.com on Tuesday.

The note says, "This thief entered and intended to steal. But I saw the words on your wall and changed my mind. Here's a hundred. Goodbye."

The words the thief mentioned referred to the calligraphy the house owner practiced to encourage himself to stand on his own feet even in old age.

The house owner said he would like to meet the thief to have a chat about life.

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