It Never Pays to Overreach Oneself
Once a miser lost his purse containing a hundred gold coins. He made frantic efforts to recover his money but all in vain. He was so perturbed over his loss that he lost all interest in life. A friend advised him to offer a reward for the finder of the purse. After a good deal of hesitation, the miser called the town-crier and told him to announce that ten gold coins would be given to the man who brought him his lost purse.
A few days later, an old farmer came to the miser and gave him his lost purse. When the farmer demanded his reward, the miser answered, “You have already taken your reward. There were one hundred and ten gold coins in the purse. Now there are only one hundred.” The farmer felt cheated and went to the judge. The judge summoned the miser and ordered him to produce his purse. Then, examining the purse carefully, the judge said that the purse had the capacity to hold only one hundred gold coins, whereas the miser’s purse contained one hundred and ten coins. So, he declared that the purse could not be the property of the miser. He gave that purse to the farmer because no one else claimed it.
Moral:
- It never pays to overreach oneself.
- Never tell a lie.
