一个守财奴将金子埋在花园里一个秘密的地方。每天他去那个地点，挖出财宝，一件一件地点数，来确定它们都在那儿。他去得太频繁了，竟被一个暗中注视他的盗贼，猜到了他藏的是什么东西。盗贼在一天夜里悄悄挖出财宝，带着扬长而去。

守财奴发现财宝被盗，悲痛欲绝。他号啕痛哭，撕扯自己的头发。

一个路人听见了他的哭喊，问发生了什么事情。

“我的金子！啊我的金子！”守财奴扯着嗓门吼叫，“我被抢劫了！”

“你的金子！在那个坑里？为什么要放在那？为什么不放在房里，拿来买东西也方便？”

“买！”守财奴愤怒地尖叫道。“天哪，我从来不动那些金子。一个子儿我也舍不得花。”

路人捡起一块大石头，扔进坑里。

“那样的话，”他说，“把那块石头埋起来吧。它一点也不比你丢失的财宝差。”

藏而不用，一文不值。

A Miser had buried his gold in a secret place in his garden. Every day he went to the spot, dug up the treasure and counted it piece by piece to make sure it was all there. He made so many trips that a Thief, who had been observing him, guessed what it was the Miser had hidden, and one night quietly dug up the treasure and made off with it.

When the Miser discovered his loss, he was overcome with grief and despair. He groaned and cried and tore his hair.

A passerby heard his cries and asked what had happened.

"My gold! O my gold!" cried the Miser, wildly, "someone has robbed me!"

"Your gold! There in that hole? Why did you put it there? Why did you not keep it in the house where you could easily get it when you had to buy things?"

"Buy!" screamed the Miser angrily. "Why, I never touched the gold. I couldn't think of spending any of it."

The stranger picked up a large stone and threw it into the hole.

"If that is the case," he said, "cover up that stone. It is worth just as much to you as the treasure you lost!"

A possession is worth no more than the use we make of it.