The Clever Peasant

A king went to visit a village. He asked a peasant, “How much do you earn in a day?” The peasant replied, “I earn four ounces.” The king said, “What do you do with them?” The peasant replied, “The first I eat, the second one I put on interest, the third I give back and the fourth I throw away.

The king was surprised and asked the peasant for an explanation. The peasant replied. “With the first ounce I feed myself. With the second one, I feed my children so that they take care of me when I get old and I get my interest. With the third one, I feed my father and repay what he has done for me when I was a child. With the fourth one, I feed my wife, which is as good as throwing it away because I don’t get any profit.”

The king was impressed and rewarded the peasant.

A king went to visit a village. He asked a peasant, “How much do you earn in a day?” The peasant replied, “I earn four ounces.” The king said, “What do you do with them?” The peasant replied, “The first I eat, the second one I put on interest, the third I give back and…