No 4144 Set by Leonora Casement
A famous person spills the beans about the first lie they ever told.
Max 125 words by 16 September
comp@newstatesman.co.uk
The first lie? That's the one that really counts, isn't it? In my case it governed everything that happened afterwards. And it was only a moment of bravado. You see, I had very humble origins – no kidding, born in a cowshed, the old man a jobbing carpenter, minimal expectations... well, you get the picture. Anyway, cut a long story short, I was drinking with these fishermen somewhere in Galilee and they were bragging away as fisherman do and there wasn't much I could throw in the pot by way of achievements so in my cups I said 'I am the promised Messiah'.
And they believed me! So I had to live up to it. Course, I didn't realise I'd be nailed up for it.