The Merchant's Gold

Abstract

This fable is usually told with its chief character referred to as a miser. This version is straightforward, with some differences from the tradition in its ending. 'Why are you making so much noise?,' says a neighbour. 'That gold is no use to you when you have it in the ground anyway.' There is no mention here of substituting a rock for the gold. The sudden appearance of a neighbor (and two other family members pictured with him) in the midst of a woods is surprising.