A certain miser sold all his possessions for gold. He made a brick out of the gleaming metal and hid it in a hole in the ground. It seemed that all his desires and hopes were also buried with the gold brick. He thought of nothing else but his treasure, and waited for that time every day, when he took it out of its hiding place and gloated over it.
A labourer in a nearby field watched the miser at his secret enjoyment every evening. He could not see the gold brick from the distance where he stood, but he guessed the miser was rejoicing over some thing precious. One night, when all was still, the labourer dug up the spot, found the gold brick and took it away.
When the miser found his hole empty the next evening, he set up a tremendous wailing and lamentation. He wept and tore his hair. He beat his breast and howled.
A passer-by asked him what had happened to cause him such a great sorrow. The miser told him his sad tale: “All I had, I hid in the hole, Sir, and now I have nothing. Some wicked thief has stolen it !”
The passer-by said, “I do not really understand the reason for your grief. After all, when the gold was in the hole, you might as well not have had it. You made no use of the gold. Put a stone in the hole and imagine that it is your treasure. It will serve your purpose just as well.”
Moral of the story:- Do not amass wealth if it does not serve any useful purpose.
