The Miser – English Fairy Tale with Vocabulary Practice

The Miser – An English fairy tale from Aesop’s fables with vocabulary practice and podcast

Source of story: Gutenberg Project at www.gutenberg.org

The Miser

A miser sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which he buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at daily.

  • miser: ungenerous and selfish person
  • lump: solid chunk

One of his workmen observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided to watch his movements.

  • workman: craftsman

He soon discovered the secret of the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it.

  • treasure: jewels and precious objects

The miser, on his next visit, found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to make loud lamentations.

  • tear one’s hair out: feel extremely anxious, worried and frustrated
  • lamentation: weeping and crying

A neighbor, seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause, said:

  • overcome with: weakened by, overwhelmed by
  • grief: sorrow

“Pray do not grieve so; but go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that the gold is still lying there.

  • pray (interjection): emphasizing a command
  •  fancy (verb): imagine

It will do you quite the same service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did not make the slightest use of it.”

  • slightest: smallest, minimum

Related idioms & proverbs

  • Your eyes are bigger than your stomach

Study the Persian version of this story.

About the Author

Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl

Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl is an English and Persian instructor, educator, researcher, inventor, published author, blogger, SEO expert, website developer, entrepreneur, and the creator of LELB Society. He's got a PhD in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language).

Number of Posts: 4152

Related Keywords

Leave a Comment