The Miserly Old Man and His Hidden Treasure
Long ago, there lived an old man. He lived in a village and was a miser. He didn't like to spend any money, even though he had plenty. The old man had earned a lot of money when he was young, but he hadn't spent any of it. He had put all the money in a pot and hidden it in a hole in his garden.
The Secret of the Garden
Every night, the old man would tiptoe to the garden and then carefully count his money:One thousand, two thousand, three thousand...
The Thief's Discovery
One night, a thief entered the old man's garden."I don't think I'll find anything here. The owner of this house must be very poor."
But just as the thief was about to go, the old man walked into the garden. So, the thief hid behind a tree, and the old man dug out his pot of money as usual. The thief was shocked when he saw how much money the old man had. He then quietly dug the pot out and took away the money.
The Disastrous Realization
The following night, the old man went to count his money again."Someone has dug up my pot and stolen all my money!"
The old man began to weep so loudly that all the neighbors gathered to see what had happened.
"Someone has stolen all my money! I had hidden it here in the garden."
The Neighbors' Surprise and Wisdom
"Why did you hide your money in the garden? Why didn't you keep it in a cupboard or a safe in your house?""I didn't want to spend my money, and I thought it would be much safer here," the old man explained.
The old man's neighbors were very surprised by his answer.
A Lesson in the Value of Money
One of them picked up a rock and put it in the hole in the ground."From now on, you can think that this rock is your money, for it makes no difference."
"It's always wise to save some money for a rainy day, but if you don't spend your money on yourself, even when you need it the most, it really is of no use to you."
The old man felt very foolish. He wished that he had used some of his hard-earned money on himself.
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Grandpa's Moral Stories