In a village, there lived a poor man. Although he was poor, somehow he always managed to make a living because he was so clever. The poor man had a very rich neighbor.
One day, the poor man went to the rich man's house and asked to borrow a spoon for his dinner. The rich man agreed, "Without spoon, how can you drink while you eat. But you must promise to return it tomorrow."
The poor man thanked him, and came back the next day. He handed the silver spoon to the rich man and along with it a small tiny spoon which looked exactly like the large one except for its size. The rich man looked at the two spoons and was puzzled. "Wait a minute. I lent you only the large spoon, who owns this small spoon?"
"Believe it or not, last night your big spoon gave birth to this small one. Because I am an honest man, I am returning both the mother and the baby to you." The rich man thought this sounded ridiculous, but he was too greedy to argue with the poor man. He gladly accepted both spoon.
A few days later, the poor man went to the rich man's house to borrow a large silver bowl. The rich man would never have considered lending something of such value to anyone else, but he remembered what good fortune he had had last time he lent a spoon to the poor man. He quickly agreed.
Two days passed, the poor man returned to the rich man again. This time he carried not only a large bowl, but also a small one, identical in every way except size. "I know it's hard to believe, but your large bowl bowl gave birth to a small bowl. Since both of them belong to you, I am giving them to you now." The rich man was delighted, praised the poor man for his honesty, and gladly accepted the two bowls.
Not long, the poor man went to the rich man again. This time he asked for a golden watch, "Would you mind lending me your gold watch? I don't have watch and don't know what time is it?" The rich man didn't even hesitate, "Well, it would be my pleasure! Take this golden clock with two golden arms on it." He thought of a small golden clock that would be returned with it.
"Here, you may take my finest golden arm clock. I know you will return it just as you promise. And if it should happen to have a child, I have no doubt that you will be just as honest as you have been in the past."
"Well, of course." said the poor man. One day passed, and then another, and still another, but the man saw no sign of the poor man and his golden arm clock. Finally he grew impatient and went to the poor man's home. "I've come about my clock," the rich man asked politely.
The poor man hung his head sadly and said, "I was planning to visit you and tell you the sad news. "The night after I left your house, your clock died."
"Died? You fool, how can a clock die?"
The poor man look the rich man in the eye, "If you believe spoon and bowl can give birth, why should it surprise you that a clock can die?"
~the end.
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