A fool and his money are soon parted

Simon the farmer and Sarah his wife lived simply. Simon tilled the land and Sarah took the produce to the market every week. They worked hard for their money but it was far from enough and as a result the couple was always fighting over the most trivial matters.

One day, after a particularly hard day, Simon went to see a friend of his with whom he shared his woes. Peter was an artist. He was tall and handsome and made a very good living selling his paintings, which were hugely popular in and out of town.

Even though Simon and Peter were as far apart as chalk and cheese, they seemed to get on very well. The kindly farmer and the artist often sat down after a heavy day's work to share a drink or have a bite to eat.

But this day was going to be somewhat different. As Simon approached Peter's house, he saw a large car parked in the porch.

Now had Simon not been such a simple minded soul, he would have recognised the car as one belonging to Paul Brown who was the biggest cheat in town. Instead of turning away, as he should have, Simon knocked on Peter's door and let himself in.

Peter and Paul were in the midst of a heated discussion. "No," Peter was telling Paul, "I cannot let you take advantage of Simon. He is my best friend and I will not allow you to go anywhere near his farm. It is the only thing he has and it is not for sale. And certainly not at the price you are offering." The minute Simon heard the word sale, he leapt into the conversation. "Did I hear the word sale?" he asked. "Do you mean to buy my property?" Paul tried to signal Simon to stop asking questions but Simon was not having any of it. "Why not come and see my farm," he said adding, "you can always come now if you have the time." Seizing the opportunity, Paul said he would be delighted and the two of them left Peter staring after them.

However, Peter was too good a friend to just sit and watch Simon get swindled. He got into his car and followed Paul to Simon's farm. There he negotiated a good price for his friend and the deal was clinched. So much money in the bank made both Simon and his wife giddy-headed. Despite Paul's pleading with them to save something for a rainy day, Simon and his wife began to live beyond their means. They shopped and entertained lavishly and soon the funds began to dwindle away. And then there came a time when they had no money left.

The house had to be put on the market and Paul came once again to buy it. Simon was left with no choice but to sell it far below the actual rate. He began to see the utter folly of what he had done but by then it was too late!