Chapter II: Story of a Miserly Father and his Prodigal Son

A man to spend money lacked courage and will ;He had gold but no stomach for eating his fill.He ate not, in order to comfort his mind ;Nor gave, that to-morrow release he might find.He was thinking of silver and gold, night and day ;The silver and gold in the miser's hand lay.The son, in concealment, one day saw the spotWhere the father had hidden his money, ill-got.From the ground he removed it and spent it apace;I have heard that he buried a stone in its place.The gold with the generous youth did not last—It came to one hand, through the other it passed.For this reason, a spendthrift than woman is less—His cap's in the market, in pawn is his dress.The father had seized his own throat in his gripe;The son had brought forward the lute and the pipe.From weeping, the father at night kept awake ;The son in the morning laughed loudly, and spake:—"For enjoying, oh father ! our money we own ;For treasuring, gold is not better than stone."From adamant gold is extracted with care,To clothe and bestow and provide proper fare ;And gold in the grasp of a miser's close fist,In the stone, still, oh brother ! appears to exist.If you over your children in life tyrannize,Complain not of them, if they wish your demise !Like a charm, they'll their longing for food satisfy,When you fall from a roof that is fifty yards high.If a miser has plenty of gold in his hands,As a talisman, over his treasure he stands.And his gold will remain for a number of years,For a talisman, such, o'er it trembling appears.With the dread stone of death, him, they quickly destroy,And in sharing his wealth, heirs their leisure employ.Hence, rather than carry and store, like the ant,Enjoy, while you can ! when worms eat you, you can't!Sadi's sayings, both proverbs and maxims, comprise ;By them, he will profit who honestly tries.To avert from these sayings your face, it is sad !For prosperous wealth in this way can be had.