The Miser 守财奴

A miser, to make sure of his property, sold all that he had and converted it into a great lump of gold, which he hid in a hole in the ground, and went continually to visit and inspect it. This roused the curiosity of one of his workmen, who, suspecting that there was a treasure, when his master's back was turned, went to the spot, and stole it away.

When the miser returned and found the place empty, he wept and tore his hair. But a neighbour who saw him in this extravagant grief, and learned the cause of it, said，“Fret yourself no longer, but take a stone and put it in the same place, and think that it is your lump of gold；for, as you never meant to use it, the one will do you as much good as the other.”

一个守财奴，为了确保自己的财产不贬值，便把所有东西都变卖了，换成一大块金子。他把金子藏在地洞里，并且经常到那里去查看。他的行为引起了一个帮工的好奇；他猜想那里必定有宝藏，所以当他主人不在时，便跑到地洞里，把金子偷走了。

守财奴回来后发现洞里空无一物，急得捶胸痛哭。一个邻居看见他那伤心欲绝的样子，问明原因后说：“别伤心了，拿块石头放在原处，当作是你那块金子就行了。既然你从不打算用它，那么，石头和金块对你来说不都是一样嘛。”