The Greedy Man and the Clever Beggar

The Greedy Man and the Clever Beggar

BY: Ubaid

Long ago, in a small village surrounded by green fields and tall palm trees, there lived a man known far and wide for one thing — his miserliness. He was so stingy that he counted every grain of rice before eating and measured every drop of oil before cooking. The villagers often said, “If stinginess were a disease, he’d be the first patient!”

One hot afternoon, the miser was walking through the forest on his way to another village. As he walked, he noticed a tall date palm tree heavy with ripe, golden-brown dates. They looked juicy and delicious. His eyes lit up, and his mouth began to water.

“Ah! Free food from heaven!” he said, rubbing his hands together. “No one is watching — these dates are all mine!”

Without wasting a moment, he started climbing the tree eagerly. The higher he climbed, the greedier he became. He stuffed his pockets and even his hat with dates. But just as he was about to pluck one last bunch, a sharp sting pierced his arm.

“Ouch!” he cried in pain. He looked up and saw a large beehive hanging from a branch nearby. Dozens of angry bees swarmed out, buzzing furiously around him.

Panicked, he tried to climb down quickly — but then he looked below and saw something that froze his blood. Right under the tree was a deep well! One wrong move, and he’d fall straight into it.

He clung to the tree, trembling. “Oh God!” he prayed desperately. “Please save me! If you spare my life, I promise I’ll feed a hundred poor beggars!”

He slowly started descending the tree, his hands shaking with fear. After climbing down a little, he muttered under his breath, “Well… maybe not a hundred… seventy-five would be enough.”

A few feet lower, he thought again, “Seventy-five is a bit too much. Let’s make it fifty.”

As he got closer to the ground, he said quietly, “Alright… fifty’s still a lot. I’ll feed just twenty.”

Finally, when his feet touched the ground safely, he sighed in relief and whispered, “Hmm… maybe I’ll feed just one beggar. That’s good enough, isn’t it?”

And just like that, his fear disappeared — and so did his promise.

That evening, he returned home and told his wife the entire story, exaggerating his bravery and cleverness. His wife, however, was a simple and honest woman. She said gently, “You made a vow to God. You must fulfill it, or you’ll face bad luck.”

The miser frowned but finally agreed. “Alright, alright. Bring one beggar tomorrow, and I’ll feed him. But only one!”

The next morning, his wife went out and found a poor beggar sitting by the roadside. Ironically, this beggar was just as greedy and cunning as her husband — perhaps even more! The beggar had a weak stomach and couldn’t eat much, but when he heard there was free food, his mind began to scheme.

When he arrived at the miser’s house, the wife served him with great care — fresh bread, yogurt, sweet rice pudding, and milk. But before eating, the beggar said slyly, “Dear lady, I cannot eat this here. My stomach is delicate. Please pack everything for me.”

The woman, thinking she was doing a good deed, packed everything neatly for him. As the beggar was about to leave, he said boldly, “And don’t forget my gift, my dear. Every kind host gives a gift to a holy man.”

Confused but generous-hearted, the miser’s wife went inside and brought out two gold coins. She handed them over with a smile.

The beggar walked away chuckling to himself, his bag full of food and gold jingling in his pocket.

That evening, when the miser returned home, his wife proudly told him, “I invited a beggar and fulfilled your promise. He took the food and the coins happily.”

The miser’s eyes widened. “Coins? What coins?!”
“I gave him two gold ones,” she replied innocently. “He said it was his due as a holy man.”

The miser’s face turned red with anger. “That thief tricked you! I’ll teach him a lesson he won’t forget!”

He grabbed his walking stick and stormed toward the beggar’s hut. The beggar’s wife, however, was just as clever as her husband. When she saw the furious miser approaching from afar, she quickly ran outside and began shouting at the top of her voice.

“Oh no! My poor husband! Someone must have poisoned his food! He’s terribly ill, dying even! Oh, what shall I do?”

The miser froze in his tracks. “What? Poisoned? Dying?” His anger vanished instantly, replaced by fear. If the beggar died, people might accuse him of giving poisoned food!

The woman pretended to cry loudly. “He’s suffering so much! If only I had money for a doctor!”

Panicking, the miser said quickly, “Don’t cry, don’t cry! I’ll help! I’ll send two gold coins right away for his treatment!”

The beggar’s wife thanked him dramatically while her husband, perfectly healthy, sat inside laughing silently.

And so, the greedy miser, who tried to cheat God and the poor, ended up being cheated himself — not once, but twice!

As the villagers later said, “There’s always someone greedier than a miser — and smarter than a fool.”


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Moral:
Greed blinds judgment, and those who try to trick others often fall into their own trap.