A man who was considered the most frugal of all the dwellers in a
certain kingdom heard of another man who was the most frugal in the
whole world. He said to his son thereupon: "We, indeed, live upon
little, but if we were more frugal still, we might live upon nothing
at all. It will be well worth while for us to get instructions in
economy from the Most Frugal of Men." The son agreed, and the two
decided that the son should go and inquire whether the master in
economic science would take pupils. An exchange of presents being a
necessary preliminary to closer intercourse, the father told the son
to take the smallest of coins, one farthing, and to buy a sheet of
paper of the cheapest sort. The boy, by bargaining, got two sheets of
paper for the farthing. The father put away one sheet, cut the other
sheet in halves, and on one half drew a picture of a pig's head. This
he put into a large covered basket, as if it were the thing which it
represented--the usual gift sent in token of great respect. The son
took the basket, and after a long journey reached the abode of the
most frugal man in the world.
The master of the house was absent, but his son received the traveler,
learned his errand, and accepted the offering. Having taken from
the basket the picture of the pig's head, he said courteously to his
visitor: "I am sorry that we have nothing in the house that is worthy
to take the place of the pig's head in your basket. I will, however,
signify our friendly reception of it by putting in four oranges for
you to take home with you."
Thereupon the young man, without having any oranges at hand, made the
motions necessary for putting the fruit into the basket. The son of
the most frugal man in the kingdom then took the basket and went to
his father to tell of thrift surpassing his own.
When the most frugal man in the world returned home, his son told him
that a visitor had been there, having come from a great distance to
take lessons in economy. The father inquired what offering he brought
as an introduction, and the son showed the small outline of the pig's
head on thin brown paper. The father looked at it, and then asked
his son what he had sent as a return present. The son told him he had
merely made the motions necessary for transferring four oranges, and
showed how he had clasped the imaginary fruit and deposited it in the
visitor's basket. The father immediately flew into a terrible rage and
boxed the boy's ears, exclaiming: "You extravagant wretch! With your
fingers thus far apart you appeared to give him large oranges. Why
didn't you measure out small ones?"
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