A farmer who lived in a small village had a bad pain in the chest. This never seemed to get any better. The farmer decided that he would go to see a doctor in the nearest town. But as he was a miserly (小气) person, he thought he would find out how much he would have to pay the doctor. He was told that a sick person had to pay three pounds for the first visit and one pound for the second visit. The farmer thought about this for a long time, and then he decided to go to the doctor in the town.

As he came into the doctor's room, he said, "Good morning, doctor. Here I am again. "The doctor was a little surprised. He asked him a few questions, checked his chest and then took the pound which the farmer insisted on giving him. Then the doctor said with a smile, "Well, sir, there's nothing new. Please go on taking the same medicine I gave you the first time you came to see me. "