有一个守财奴变卖了所有家产，并将所有金器全部熔成了一个大金块，秘密埋在一个地方。他每天都会走过去看看，有时还会花很长时间得意洋洋地欣赏自己的宝藏。一个仆人注意到他经常去那个地方，便在某一天监视着他，发现了他的秘密。那人在一个夜晚伺机挖出了金块，并偷走了。第二天，当守财奴又像往常一样到那里来看宝贝时，发现自己的宝藏不翼而飞了，便捶胸顿足地痛哭起来。一个邻居见他如此悲痛，便问他遇上了什么麻烦。守财奴告诉他自己的不幸，可是，邻居却说：“朋友，别太放在心上了，找一块石头放进洞里，然后每天都来看看它，只要你心里想着那是块金子，就不会再如此难过了。因为即使那是一块真的金子，对你来说也没什么用呀。”
【吝啬鬼的故事寓意】
这篇吝啬鬼的寓言故事其实就是要说对那些吝啬鬼来说你每天看一个快金子和一块石头的区别不大，因为你都没有真正的去利用金子，那么金子和石头又有什么区别呢。
【吝啬鬼的英文版】
THE MISER
A Miser sold everything he had，and melted down his hoard of gold into a single lump，which he buried secretly in a field.Every day he went to look at it，and would sometimes spend long hours gloating over his treasure.One of his men noticed his frequent visits to the spot，and one day watched him and discovered his secret.Waiting his opportunity he went one night and dug up the gold and stole it.Next day the Miser visited the place as usual，and，finding his treasure gone，fell to tearing his hair and groaning over his loss.In this condition he was seen by one of his neighbours，who asked him what his trouble was.The Miser told him of his misfortune；but the other replied，“Don’t take it SO much to heart.my——iend；put a brick into the hole.and take a look at it every day：you won’t be any WOrSe off than before，for even when you had your gold it was ofno earthly use to you.”