World of Tales
Stories for children, folktales, fairy tales and fables from around the world

The beggar and the miser

Arab Folktale

An old beggar passed through an old village. He knocked on the door of a big beautiful house, with a tall barn and a large iron padlock on the gate. In this house lived a man, known in the village for his miserliness : he never helped people, even though he was very rich.

'Please give me some meat or milk?' - asked the beggar.

The miser replied roughly:

'No, I can't! Go away!'

'Maybe you can give me some wheat or beans?' - kept asking the beggar, forced by hunger to humiliate himself.

'I don't have anything!' - said the miser.

'Then give me a piece of bread, and I will be grateful.' - said the beggar.

'Go away, I don't have bread!' - was the miser's reply.

'At least give me some water? I'm very thirsty!'

'I don't have water.' - screamed the miser.

Then said the beggar :

'Oh, my son, why are you sitting here then? Stand up and start begging food from the good people. You are even poorer than I am!

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