Once when John was going up from Scetis with other monks, their guide lost his way in the night. The brothers said to John, ‘What shall we do, abba, to prevent ourselves from dying in the desert, now that this brother has lost the way?’ John said, ‘If we say anything to him, he will be upset, so I will pretend I am worn out, and say I can’t walk any further, and must stay here till daylight.’ He did so and the others said, ‘We won’t go on either, we’ll stay with you here.’ They stayed there till dawn, so that they should not blame the monk who had guided them wrongly.

– Sayings of the Desert Fathers