The Old Beggar

An old beggar was cold, hungry and dying soon...
as he lies on the pathway...snowflakes falling onto his face...he made a wish...

"If I were rich, I would spend my money wisely, I would never be stingy and will be contented with whatever I have..."

He then closed his eyes and was prepared to exhale his last breathe...

Suddenly, there was a bright light! A mystical being appeared before him and said,

"You committed grave sins in your past lives and that is why in this life your fate is as such...however...in your final moments, your sincerity when making that wish was felt by me...thus, I have decided to grant you health and a magic bag. There will always be a gold coin in this bag...you can take whatever you want from this bag...BUT you must burn this bag before you can use the money withdrawn from the bag. Remember my words and Good Luck!"

The beggar open his eyes and he felt healthy and strong again. There was indeed a bag in his hand. He reached in with his left hand and took out a gold coin. He was elated! Refusing to believe his left hand, he put in his right hand this time. Just as what the mystical being had said...the bag was indeed magical.

Not long after, the beggar felt hungry again...with the heaps of coins in front of him, he could easily afford a banquet. However, he felt that he could endure the hunger and continue to "earn" somemore gold coins from the magic bag...

A long time passed, now the beggar is feeling hungry, cold and tired...the mountains of coins around him now could have satisfy his every desire and still last him for generations...yet...the beggar felt that he should continue taking coins out. It was a rare magical bag after all...

Soon...the beggar cannot take it anymore...he became sick and collapse on the very same spot where he made his wish last time...not long after...the beggar passed away with all the gold coins around him and the magical bag still clutched tighly in his hand.

A gust of wind came blowing and the coins together with the bag turn into dust and was blown away...what was left was just a corpse of the old begggar...