The police felt sympathy for the poor elderly woman selling illegally on the street—but when one officer bent down to take a closer look at the vegetables, the woman was immediately arrested.

The officers had received a call about illegal street vending at the corner of 3rd Street and went there at once.

But when they arrived and saw nothing more than a harmless old woman with a crate of vegetables, their determination began to fade.

She stood beside neatly arranged tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers. She wore an old, worn-out sweater and a faded skirt.

“Ma’am, do you know that street vending is prohibited?” one officer asked gently.

“Yes, son,” she sighed. “But I need money for my sick son’s medication. He has no one left, and no one helps us. I grew all these vegetables myself in my garden. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

The officers exchanged glances. The violation was clear, but they felt pity for her.

“This time, we’re going to let it go,” said the older officer. “But please try to find another way to earn money. Other officers might not be as understanding as we are.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” the woman replied nervously, as if she wanted them to leave as quickly as possible.

“Well, since we’re here, let’s at least buy something from her,” one of the officers said with a smile. “Let’s do a good deed.”

“No, that’s not necessary, dear,” she responded quickly. “I already have many customers.”

“Many customers?” his colleague asked, puzzled. “But there’s no one here.”