The miser and his gold

Once upon a time there was a miser. He hid his gold under a tree. Every week he used to dig it up.

One night a robber stole all the gold. When the miser came again, he found nothing but an empty hole.

He was surprised, and then burst into tears.All the neighbors gathered around him.

He told them how he used to come and visit his gold.

"Did you ever take any of it out?" asked one of them. "No," he said, "I only came to look at it." "Then come again and look at the hole," said the neighbor, "it will be the same as looking at the gold."