An old miser (守财奴) lived in a house with a garden. He put his gold coins in a hole (洞穴) under some stones in the garden. Every day, before going to bed, he went to the stones and counted the gold coins he put there. He did this every day, bur he never spent the gold coins in the garden.
One day, a thief who knew the old miser's gold coins waited for the old miser to go back into his house. After it was dark, the thief went to the garden and took away the gold coins.
The next day, the old miser found that his gold coins were missing and started crying loudly.
His neighbor heard the old miser's cries and asked him what happened. On learning what happened, the neighbor asked, “Why didn't you save the gold coins inside the house? It would be easier to get the money when you had to buy something!”
“Buy?” said the miser.” I never used the gold coins to buy anything. I was never going to spend them.”
On hearing this, the neighbor threw a stone into the hole and said, “if that is the case, save the stone. It is as worthless as the gold coins you have lost.”
