Week 7 Storytelling-The Businessman and the Beggar

As I stood in line for my daily train ride to work, I noticed a raggedly dressed man walking by his lonesome muttering under his breath. The man walked close enough where I could hear the words he repeated under his breath mindlessly.

"If only someone would give me money to eat, I would never forget the kind act they performed," the homeless man said over and over.

"Excuse me, sir, are you in need of some assistance?" I graciously asked.

"Kind sir, if only you could spare me enough money to eat today I would forever remember your good graces," sputtered the man with a gleam in his eye, "I would not run and spend it on drugs and alcohol, this I promise. I just need food to eat today."

The homeless man had seemingly read my mind as that very thought is what was causing my apprehension to lend him the cash. I decided to help the poor man and reached into my back pocket to pull out my wallet.

As I pulled out the wad of cash within, the beggar could see that I had more than enough money to give him to eat for multiple days. He eyed the green dollar bills with unabashed envy. I stuck out my hand to give him the ten dollar bill I had taken out, and he grabbed it while still staring at my stack of cash. I hoped he didn't think that this could become a daily routine.


The businessman's wad of cash (Flikr).

"Thank you, sir. It means a lot," said the man as he started off towards the train station exit.

A month passed by and I had not seen the beggar and quite honestly had completely forgotten about him. Then one day, as I again waited in line for my train, I heard the man's ragged voice yell out from somewhere behind me.

"Sir! Sir!" he exclaimed while happily waving towards me in a new set of worn out clothes.

This time he was not alone. He had at least five acquaintances with him. I immediately thought that the only explanation could be that he told all his friends about my wad of cash and how I had helped him previously. Fully expecting to be ambushed with questions of assistance I was pleasantly surprised at the next sequence of events.

"Do you remember me?" quizzed the old beggar.

"Yes, how are you? Looking for more money to eat?" I arrogantly asked.

"No! Actually, I am here to repay you," said the poor man with a smile that seemingly stretched across his entire face.

I sat confused as the man pulled out dollar bills and quarters, dimes, and nickels to the tune of a ten dollar total: the man had paid me back in full.

"I wanted to repay you for your kindness a few weeks back. I found a job that paid me a little so I've been saving up in case I ran into you again. It is my way of saying thank you for your generosity," explained the old man.

I could only stand in shock as the beggar turned with his friends and walked away. I managed to stammer out a thank you but of course he had already been long gone.

----------

Author's Note: This story was adapted from The Wizard and the Beggar found in Laos Folk-Lore by Katherine Neville Fleeson (1899). In the original story, a beggar is looking for someone to help him end his craving for hunger. He comes across a wizard who warns him that men forget benefits they receive from others. The beggar promises he will not do that if only the wizard will help. The wizard then shows him two jewels: one that, when held in one's mouth, enables them to fly and another, when held in one's mouth, enables them to receive all they wish to possess. The beggar takes the second jewel and returns home. After awhile, he and his people decide they want the other jewel as well and return to the home of the wizard to take it. The wizard knew the beggar would forget the kind act he performed for the beggar and tricked him by stealing the beggar's jewel and then flying away by aid of the other jewel.

For my story, I decided to make the beggar just need food for the day and the wizard was replaced by the business man. I wanted the ending to be a happy one because in the original story I felt bad for the beggar up until the very end and thought he would stay true to his promise. I thought the feel good ending would make the story better in my eyes. I used the train station for a more present day feel.