Guilt and Gullibility

Written for a competition with a five hundred word limit. This story is exactly five hundred words including the title.
 
 
Barnaby was the village idiot he had a terrible memory too so it was impossible to teach him anything. A young respectable widow Mrs. Jenkins gave Barnaby tea three times a week because she said she felt sorry for the lad. Others though ridiculed him at every opportunity for their own amusement.  
 
One day the local postmaster was showing some tourists around the picturesque village when the group came across Barnaby sitting outside the post office ‘and this is Barnaby the village idiot' he said. Barnaby nodded amiably to the group giving them a vacant smile. The postmaster had just taken possession of a new bicycle that very morning and decided to demonstrate to the crowd just how gullible Barnaby was. He produced two bicycles and presented them to the poor fellow.  
 
‘Now Barnaby’ he said in a patronising tone ‘you can take one of these bikes and keep it forever.’  
 
‘Really?’ said Barnaby beaming. He grinned at the crowd ‘Oy can ride a bike yer knows’ he announced proudly.  
 
‘This one is brand new Barnaby but the old one is used to being ridden and knows all the lanes around here ‘cos it’s the one I used to deliver the mail.’  
 
‘Oh Arrh?’ said the simpleton ‘that’ll be the one for me then.’ He promptly mounted the machine and rode it around the village green waving madly to the laughing tourists.  
 
On Barnaby’s return the postmaster, thinking of his tips, sought to entertain them further by giving the tourists yet another demonstration of Barnaby’s stupidity. ‘Now watch this’ he said producing a one pound coin and a fifty pence piece. ‘Here Barnaby which of these two coins do you want?’  
 
Barnaby picked the fifty pence piece ‘Oh this one please’ he said pocketing the coin. The tourists tittered.  
 
‘Why did you pick that coin then Barnaby?’ asked the postmaster.  
 
Barnaby leered idiotically ‘biggest one’ he said laughing and clapping his hands with joy.  
 
The tourists took up the theme and produced coins of their own Barnaby always picked the coin of least value.  
 
Later, seeing Barnaby alone, one lady tourist split from the group and approached him guilt ridden for having taking advantage of his simplicity. Thrusting a twenty pound note into his hand she said ‘Hi Barnaby may I have a word?’ She explained that people were taking advantage of his gullibility just so they could mock him. ‘The pound coin is smaller but it’s worth twice as much as the fifty pence piece’ she explained ‘and you could have had a brand new bicycle too’ she added sympathetically ‘bicycles can’t remember their way around.’  
 
‘Oh arrh, I knows that ma'am’ said Barnaby with a sly wink but ‘cos I'm an idiot the widow Jenkins feeds me and fucks me three times a week ‘cos she thinks I can’t remember see?  And the tourists would soon stop giving me money if I took the pound every time wouldn't they?    
 
‘T’aint  I that’s gullible Missus.’