A Miser sold everything he had, and melted down his hoard of gold into a single lump, which he buried secretly in a field. Every day he went to look at it, and would sometimes spend long hours gloating over his treasure. One of his men noticed his frequent visits to the spot, and one day watched him and discovered his secret. Waiting his opportunity, he went one night and dug up the gold and stole it. Next day the Miser visited the place as usual, and, finding his treasure gone, fell to tearing his hair and groaning over his loss. In this condition he was seen by one of his neighbours, who asked him what his trouble was. The Miser told him of his misfortune; but the other replied, “Don't take it so much to heart, my friend; put a brick into the hole, and take a look at it every day: you won't be any worse off than before, for even when you had your gold it was of no earthly use to you.”
有一个吝啬鬼，把他的东西都给卖掉了，把囤积起来的金子铸成了一大块，偷偷地埋在了一块地里。每天，他都要过去看看，有时候会在自己的财产边一待老半天。他的一个仆人注意到他经常去那个地方，有一天便偷偷地跟踪他，发现了这个秘密。他等待时机，一天晚上过去挖出了金子偷走了。第二天，吝啬鬼又去了，却发现自己的财宝不见了，他跪在地上扯着头发，哀号不止。他的一个邻居看到了，问他到底怎么了。吝啬鬼把遭遇告诉了邻居，邻居却回答说：“别太放在心上，我的朋友，在那洞里放块砖，每天过来看看，你的日子就和过去一样了，金子在你手里，你也没有什么用处的。”