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?"
* * * * *
THE MOON-CAKE
A little boy had a cake that a big boy coveted. Designing to get
the cake without making the little boy cry so loud as to attract
his mother's attention, the big boy remarked that the cake would be
prettier if it were more like the moon. The little boy thought that a
cake like the moon must be desirable, and on being assured by the
big boy that he had made many such, he handed over his cake for
manipulation.
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