★Invitation For Dinner

Once there was a person who was very stingy; he had never invited any guests to his home for dinner. One day, another person passed by his house while his servant was washing dishes in the lake, in front of the house. The person was surprised and asked, "Why are you washing so many dishes today? Is your master going to invite someone for dinner tonight?

The servant answered, "Ah! Let me tell you. He will only entertain guests after his death."

Just at that moment the stingy person passed by and was terribly frightened by the conversation he had just heard. He immediately scolded the servant, "I have not died yet, so how do you know that I will entertain guests after I die?" (Master and audience laugh.)

This stingy person was afraid that his servant would invite guests to his house after he died. 　　　

 
★Too Salty

Once there was a stingy family that never bought any meat or fish to eat. Every time they ate, they hung a wooden fish from the ceiling (as if it was an edible fish preserved with salt) and everyone took one glance at the wooden fish for each mouthful of rice he or she ate.

One day, one of their children took several glances at the wooden fish while eating a mouthful of rice. Another child saw this and said, "Dad, look at him. He glanced several times for just one mouthful of rice."

The dad answered, "Never mind. Let him 'eat'. It's too salty and he will die of thirst later." (Master and audience laugh.)