The Miser
Written and as told by Baen Skall
Once there was an old miser who lived in a shack filled with useless treasures. But he was one to see nothing go to waste and thus kept everything, believing that one day he may have use for them. One day, by chance, the King came by in his carriage along the lane and the carriage struck a pit in the road, breaking the wheel so that he could ride no further.
The monarchs eye set upon the misers hut and seeing him sitting upon his doorstep, called him to assist. The miser was not one to refuse the king, though he had laziness in his bone and came to the aid of his ruler.
The king bid the miser to fet up some tools and help to repair the damaged spokes of the wheel and the miser did as he was asked and soon the king was on his way. In gratitude, the monarch dropped a bag of coin into the misers hands.
Gleefully the miser thanked his king and saw him on his way. And as soon as the royal carriage was out of site, the miser hurried to his garden and buried his treasure under the olive tree. Several months passed and every day the miser sat upon his door and waited for travelers to pass. He often helped those who were caught in the rut and often they would pay him in some small way.
Taking his reward, the old miser would bury it away under the olive tree where he knew his new treasure could be safe. Then one day, the King, remembering the rut and how troublesome it had been, called that it should be filled. And it was done, for he was the king and whatever he decreed was law.
The miser saw this and was sorely disappointed. For with no more rut, came no more coin and he brooded upon his step, watching the people pass by on their way here and there. But every day the miser went to his garden and dug up his treasure where he would stare at it and admire it and caress it with his withered hands.
And it happened that one day a thief came walking along the road and saw the old miser sneak back to his garden, and being intrigued the thief followed and peeked over the wall. What he saw made his blood run hot, burning with lust that only gold can bring.
And when the miser had buried the treasure and went back to his house for supper, the thief hurried to the olive tree and promptly dug up the buried hoard.
The next day the miser came out and crept to the garden and went to the olive tree. But there at its base where his treasure had been was naught left but a whole in the ground. The wiser wailed in grief and tore at his hair, cursing the thief and his own misfortune.
It happened that the King came along at that moment, on an errant to check to see that his wishes had been carried out and the roads had been repaired for the travelers of his kingdom. The misers wails reached his ears and the King walked to the garden to see what was amiss and there upon his knees groveled the miser, tearing a the hole in the earth in desperation.
“what troubles you old man?” Asked the king. The miser wailed again. “my gold, all of my gold and silver and coin is gone!!” The king stared at the hole for a moment, then turned back to the miserable miser. “Did you take any of it out? Spend any of it perchance?” The miser shook his head, hanging it in dejection.
“Nay! I only came to look a it!” The old man said, tearing at his cloths in rage. “I would never spend my precious coins!” The King frowned and scoffed. “then come and look at the hole, Miser, for all the good it will do you!” And with that, the King left, leaving the old man to his grief. For wealth unspent might as well not exist at all.
