"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."
- Timothy 6:10
The cut-purse in his greed
Committed a dreadful Sin.
He did steal from him the coin,
The most wondrous thief yond's ever been.
With the copper now in hand
He did replace 't with a pebble,
And he did wish as if 't be true
At the Behest of the Devil.
He wished for wealth in cattle
And wast granted twenty steers.
With heavy hooves, they trampled
The swindler in his rear.
For his wishes a selfish plight
The coin returned in kind
And to the Beggar while he slept
the coin was drawing nigh.
It rolled amongst the cobbles,
Covering itself in brine
When it happened upon the Beggar
And came to rest at his side.
---
Unbeknownst to either
The Evangelist in his pride
Made a visit to the King,
And soon he would return
With a letter sealed and signed.
So the Beggar would have no choice
But to give him the coin in kind.
For a letter from the King
Could not be denied.
---
The Evangelist so offended
By the Beggar's defiant words
Did steal the coin hence
And vowed to giveth 't to the church.
But that sanctimonious gent
Did whisper a sinful word,
"I wish mine stomach wast not so weak,
Yond I might englut and beest never full.
Yond I might drinketh
Until thither's drinketh nay more."
His gluttony was rewarded
With an endless bale of wine
And a roast so big
'T couldst feed a party of nine.
The culprit of the latter
Whom's stomach knoweth nay bounds,
Did burst with nay such warning,
And his entrails did kiss the ground.
---
The coin at once returned
To the Beggar in the night.
And in the morn, he would stir
And hold it in his sights.
YOU ARE READING
T.H. Ballard's Fairytales
FantasyA collection of cautionary tales inspired by the classics. For lovers of the Brothers Grimm.
