The Banker and the Pauper
Once upon a time there lived a pauper and a banker.
The former was as poor as the latter was rich.
However the poor man was happy whereas the
banker was not. The banker was annoyed about the
fact that while he tossed and turned in his bed at
night, the pauper slept peacefully and always awoke
rested and full of energy.
One day the banker could not stand it any longer.
He decided to find out why the pauper was happy
in spite of his poverty. So he asked him his yearly
income because he believed that happiness could
only be measured in terms of wealth.
"I don't count too well, nor do I really care. I live
each day as it comes and never worry about the
next,"
"Well, then, just tell me how much you earn in one
day," insisted the rich man.
"I earn what I need. And even that would be too much were it not for all the Sundays and holidays
when I must close my shop."
The banker liked the pauper. He presented
the poor man with a bag of hundred gold coins.
Now, to the pauper these coins, which meant so
little to the banker, seemed a great fortune. He
decided to hide the bag, so that he would have the
money if ever he should need it. So, when he returned
to his house, he buried the bag in a secluded corner
of the garden.
But from that day on, the poor man's life changed
- he began to worry about the safety of his money.
Every night he slept a little less, and each time he
heard the slightest sound, he became anxious about
the safety of his coins.
Finally, he could bear his unhappines no longer. He
went to the garden dug up the coins and returned
them to the banker.
The pauper had learned an important lesson, and
so had the banker
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| The Banker and the Pauper |
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| The Banker and the Pauper |