The Cost of Greed: A Miser's Tale

The Cost of Greed: A Miser's Tale

Once upon a time, there was a man named Jack. He lived in a small, quiet village. Everyone in the village knew Jack because he loved to collect things. Jack had many toys, many stamps, and many shiny coins. But out of everything he owned, his favorite things were his gold coins.

Jack loved gold coins more than anything. He liked to look at them, hold them, and count them every day. He did not buy anything with them. He just liked counting them.

Jack had a big garden behind his house. The garden was full of flowers, trees, and small paths. Every morning, Jack walked in the garden. He liked the quiet and the peace. Birds sang in the garden, and the wind played with the leaves. Jack loved spending time there.

Every night before going to bed, Jack took out his gold coins. He counted them one by one. “One, two, three…” he would say softly. Sometimes he counted them slowly, sometimes he counted them fast. Counting them made him very happy.

After counting, Jack carefully hid the coins in the garden. He put stones on top of them to keep them safe. “No one will see them here,” he said. Then, he went to sleep with a smile on his face.

One day, a thief came to the village. The thief was clever and always wanted other people’s gold. He heard that Jack had many coins. He also heard that Jack hid them in the garden. The thief decided, “I will take Jack’s gold tonight!”

That night, when everyone was asleep, the thief sneaked into Jack’s garden. He walked quietly between the trees. Finally, he saw the stones covering the hidden gold. “Ah! Here it is,” said the thief. He quickly took all the gold coins and ran away into the darkness.

The next morning, Jack woke up and went to the garden. He wanted to count his coins as usual. But when he lifted the stones, his heart sank. All the coins were gone!

“No! My gold coins!” Jack cried. He felt very sad. He did not know what to do. He walked around the garden, calling for help. “Who will help me? My gold is gone!” he shouted.

A kind neighbor named Tom heard Jack crying. He came running. “Jack, what happened?” Tom asked.

Jack told Tom everything. “I loved my gold coins. I counted them every night. I never spent them. And now, they are gone!”

Tom thought for a moment and said, “But Jack, why didn’t you spend your gold coins? Why did you just count them?”

Jack smiled a little and said, “I do not need to buy things with my gold. Counting them makes me happy. That is enough for me.”

Tom shook his head. “Jack, I think I understand. You loved the counting, not the gold itself. But then, why did you not count something else? Why gold coins? Even stones can be counted!”

Jack looked at Tom carefully. “Stones? Count stones? But stones are not gold.”

Tom laughed. “Jack, sometimes people forget what is really important. The value of a thing is not in what it is. It is in how you use it, and how you enjoy it. If counting coins made you happy, counting stones can make you happy too!”

Jack thought about Tom’s words. He went to his garden and picked up some big stones. “Let’s see…” he said. “One, two, three…” He began counting them slowly.

After some days, Jack noticed something amazing. Counting stones was just as fun as counting gold coins. Sometimes it was even more fun because the stones had different shapes and sizes. “Look at this one! It is round. And this one is very smooth,” he said to himself.

Jack also started counting flowers, leaves, and seeds in the garden. He found joy in everything around him. Every rock, every leaf, and every flower became special. He realized, happiness is not about gold or money. It is about what you love to do and how you feel while doing it.

Jack learned a very important lesson that day. He said to Tom, “Thank you, my friend. You taught me something very important. Gold coins are not always the most valuable. My garden, my rocks, and my flowers are valuable too. Because I enjoy them, they are precious to me.”

Tom smiled. “Yes, Jack. That is the magic. Things are valuable not because they are expensive, but because they bring joy to your heart.”

From that day, Jack never worried about gold coins again. He still had them, but he did not care if someone took them. His happiness was in the garden, counting and enjoying everything around him.

Sometimes, Jack even invited children from the village to his garden. “Come, count the stones with me!” he said. The children laughed and counted with Jack. They picked up colorful stones, round stones, and even tiny pebbles. Everyone had so much fun.

Jack’s garden became a place of joy for everyone. People came from far and near to see the man who could turn stones into happiness. Jack was always smiling. Every night, he went to sleep peacefully, knowing that happiness is not gold or money, but how you enjoy the things you have.

And so, Jack lived happily in his small village. He learned that true value is not in coins, money, or shiny things, but in the joy that comes from simple things. And that is a lesson for all of us.

THE END

Comprehension Questions

Q1: Who is the main character of the story?
A1: Jack is the main character.

Q2: What did Jack love to collect the most?
A2: He loved collecting and counting gold coins the most.

Q3: Where did Jack hide his gold coins?
A3: Jack hid his gold coins in the garden under stones.

Q4: Who came to steal Jack’s coins?
A4: A thief came to steal Jack’s gold coins.

Q5: How did Jack feel when he found out his coins were gone?
A5: Jack felt sad and upset.

Vocabulary / Observation Questions

Q6: What did Jack enjoy doing in the garden besides counting coins?
A6: He enjoyed the peace, looking at flowers, trees, and walking in the garden.

Q7: What did Jack start counting after he lost his gold coins?
A7: He started counting stones, flowers, leaves, and seeds in the garden.

Q8: What word means “something very special or important to you” from the story?
A8: The word is “valuable” or “precious.”

Q9: What did Jack notice about the stones and flowers when he counted them?
A9: He noticed they were fun to count and brought him happiness, just like his gold coins.

Q10: Name one thing in the garden that Jack and the children counted together.
A10: Stones, pebbles, or flowers.

Moral / Critical Thinking Questions

Q11: Why did Jack enjoy counting gold coins even though he didn’t spend them?
A11: Because counting them made him happy, and he liked the activity more than the money.

Q12: What lesson did Jack learn from his neighbor Tom?
A12: He learned that the value of things is not in money, but in how you enjoy and use them.

Q13: Can you give an example of something that is valuable but is not money?
A13: Examples: friendship, family, toys, flowers, or a favorite hobby.

Q14: Why did counting stones and flowers make Jack happy?
A14: Because he realized happiness comes from enjoying what you have, not just from money or gold.

Q15: What is the main message of the story?
A15: True value comes from how you enjoy or use something, not from its price or material worth.



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