Once upon a time there lived an old rich man with his only son. Every day the father gave him money, and the son treated his many comrades, and they praised and extolled him.
This went on for a long time. More than once the old man persuaded his son to be prudent and stop wasting money.
Finally, the old man became completely poor and became seriously ill. Before his death, he called his son and told him:
- Son, I'm dying. After my death it will be difficult for you, you will starve, but none of the comrades with whom you feasted and squandered my wealth will help you. In your darkest hour, when you are tired of living and want to commit suicide, go into the locked small room near your bedroom. There is a wire hanging on the ceiling hook, and you can hang yourself on it.
Having said this, the old man died.
The rich man's son soon squandered the remnants of his father's wealth and began to experience need.
One day he was returning home with an ox tongue bought at the market. On the way, he met his former guests. Seeing that he was carrying a bull's tongue, they began to mock the former rich man.
Confused, he put it on a stone, but then a dog jumped out from somewhere and grabbed and dragged away the purchase.
The rich man's son returned home and decided to commit suicide. At that moment he remembered his father’s dying words. He found the key and unlocked the door of the little room. But when he tied the wire around his neck and hung, the hook on which the wire was held broke out, and gold coins fell from the hole in the ceiling - there were a lot of them.
Having survived the dying hours, the young man came to his senses and stopped leading his previous lifestyle.
One day, going out into the street, he met with his former friends. Seeing that he was well dressed, they greeted him joyfully. He invited them to dinner. But when they arrived, there was only one dish on the table. The owner pulled him closer and began to eat. The guests stared at him in surprise, and he told them:
“When I was rich and generous, you fawned on me, when I became a beggar, you rejected me.” Now that I'm rich again, you love me again. No, friends, I have seen the light, and now I am no longer your friend.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru