愛財勝於愛命
In ancient times there was an old woodcutter who went to the mountain
almost every day to cut wood.
It was said that this old man was a miser who hoarded his silver until
it changed to gold, and that he cared more for gold than anything else
in all the world.
One day a wilderness tiger sprang at him and though he ran he could not
escape, and the tiger carried him off in its mouth.
The woodcutter’s son saw his father’s danger, and ran to save him if
possible. He carried a long knife, and as he could run faster than the
tiger, who had a man to carry, he soon overtook them.
His father was not much hurt, for the tiger held him by his clothes.
When the old woodcutter saw his son about to stab the tiger he called
out in great alarm:
“Do not spoil the tiger’s skin! Do not spoil the tiger’s skin! If you
can kill him without cutting holes in his skin we can get many pieces
of silver for it. Kill him, but do not cut his body.”
While the son was listening to his father’s instructions the tiger
suddenly dashed off into the forest, carrying the old man where the son
could not reach him, and he was soon killed.
And the wise man who told this story said, “Ah, this old man’s courage
was foolishness. His love for money was stronger than his love for life
itself.”