One day, a farmer saw a gnome on his fertile land. Thinking it to be a lucky sign, he asked the gnome if he had buried treasures somewhere in the field. The gnome nodded and replied, “Yes, precious jewels which you have never seen before.”
The farmer said, “Since you have hidden it in my field I should get a share of it too.” The cunning gnome said, “Only if you give me half of your harvest for two years. But I will take the top portion of the plant, while you will take the roots.” The farmer realised that the gnome was tempted by the abundant grain crop that grew on his land. However, he agreed to the deal.
For the next two years, the clever farmer grew only potatoes in his field. So, for two years he took the potatoes while the gnome could only take the leaves of the potato plant. The clever farmer won and took all the treasures, while the gnome was left with nothing.