The Merchant and the Fool
A merchant of horses was driving his stock to the market. On the road he met a venerable old fool, who offered to buy his entire stock.
“It is this way,” said the intended purchaser, “I will take your horses now, and whenever I find use for one, I will send you the money for it.”
“Now the gods be lenient to folly!” exclaimed the indignant merchant. “Man, Man! where in the realm of idiocy did you get your knowledge of business?”
“I ran a pay-on-publication journal for ten years,” said the fool with asperity.
But the merchant had vanished in a cloud of oaths and dust.