Introduction:  Opie trades a perfectly good cap pistol to Tommy Ferrell for a bag of licorice seeds.  When Opie discovers the seeds are worthless, he is eager to pass the forgery on to another unsuspecting trader.  Andy reminds his son of the Golden Rule, and Opie reluctantly agrees that trading the seeds under false pretenses would be wrong.  Later, the town council votes to get rid of the old town cannon.  Andy and Barney are in charge of selling the cannon, and Andy uses some "creative" marketing techniques to fetch a high price...

Lesson Points:
1. Honesty
     Two wrongs do not make a "right"
     Rationalize degrees of Honesty

2. Deception (Prov. 11:18)
     Stretch the Truth (Prov. 26:28)
     Habit forming - ease of use

3. Impact of parents on their children
     Practice what you preach (Prov. 22:6)
     Role Model ( 1 Kings 22: 51-53)

Discussion:
1. Did Opie feel like he was cheating his friend with the licorice seeds? Why or Why not?

2. Did Andy feel he was cheating Mr. Mason by selling the cannon for $175.00?  Did Andy justify his "Horse Trading" because it was for the good of Mayberry?

3. Why did Barney react so negatively about Andy's "Horse Trading"?

3. In Andy's "Horse Trading" to Mr. Mason, his stretching of the truth  impacted Opie. Have you ever known someone whose child copied their parents bad habits? What about other role models?

Final Thought:
"Oh no pa!  I didn't cheat at all... being smart just like you" -Opie