Logo

Here’s a lovely story for kids aged 10 and under.

There was once a rich miser who lived deep in the woods with his obedient servant Noah. So mean was the miser, poor Noah never received any payment for his services except pitiful lodgings in the shed and a few crusts of bread, milk and honey for food. Noah was a loyal man and never complained, grateful for what he got from the miser. The miser usually sat all day counting his money which he kept hidden in his cellar, never spending a single penny. Noah would find all he needed from the woods to keep the miser happy. He would get honey from beehives high in the trees, trap rabbits or fish for the meals, bring water to drink from the stream, milk mountain goats to make cheese and cream and use the skin of the rabbits to make shoes and cloths for the miser. The miser chose to live deep in the wood away from the towns people so as no one would ever try to steal his gold and silver pennies. Due to this solitude, the miser didn’t have any friends and in turn the towns people had forgotten him long ago and never came to visit. The miser was happy with this as he hated anyone knowing his private business and of course knowledge of his affluent cellar.

One morning the miser sent Noah into the forest to catch some rabbits for dinner. Noah obeyed and started into the woods. The miser sat down as usual and began to count his many piles of money. Soon it became dark, many hours had passed and the miser felt a draft coming into the cellar. He shouted for Noah to light the fire but Noah never appeared. The miser grew impatient wondering why his servant had not come to him on his beckoning. Climbing the cellar stairs, the miser entered his living quarters and called to Noah again. Still no sign of his obedient servant. The miser feeling rather cold put a blanket around his shoulders and returned to counting his pennies.

Soon hours passed some more and the misers stomach began to grumble. The miser called to Noah to bring some broth and bread, but Noah didn’t appear. The moon was now high in the sky and the miser felt very angry and stormed up the stairs into his living quarters to scold Noah. Searching high and low, Noah was nowhere to be found. The miser was feeling very ravenous and cold but who was there to light a fire and cook the evening meal? The firewood had yet to be brought to the house for the evening and the food had yet to be prepared. The miser feeling very sorry for himself decided to retire to bed and would certainly berate Noah in the morning for abandoning him in his hour of need.

The morning came and went and still Noah had not returned. The miser paced up and down wondering what could have happened. Determined to get warm and fed, the miser attempted to light a fire. He fetched some wood from the cut pile by the shed and placed it in the fire place of his kitchen, struck a match, placed it on the wood and stood back waiting for the blaze. The match fizzled out and no fire would come.  Soon all the matches were gone and the miser crouched down and cried for himself. “How will I make food without fire”, he wept, “How will I keep warm” The miser had no one to ask for help as he did not have any friends and he could not light a fire or cook as he did not know how. Soon days had passed with no sign of Noah and the miser lay in his bed weak with the hunger and cold. He was frightened that if he may die, who would find him? Only Noah knew where he lived. The miser decided to pray for help and begged God to show some mercy and swore to change his miserable ways. Night began to fall and the miser soon drifted off into a deep sleep.

The following morning, the miser awoke to the sound of the birds chirping and the warm sun glinting through the curtains. Laying there, staring at the ceiling and rubbing his starved stomach, he heard movement down stairs. Startled, he cried out for help. Footsteps came running up to his bedroom and bolted through the door, in came a very ragged Noah. “Master” Noah cried, I have been trapped in the forest for days not knowing how to find my way back” The miser began to weep and clung to Noah desperately begging for forgiveness for his mean and nasty ways and thanking God for Noah’s safe return. “Please forgive me Noah, I have been a terrible master to you, you are my only friend and I have treated you with nothing but bad temper and selfishness. Noah held the miser and listened to his wails and sobs and forgave him immediately.

The miser invited Noah to dine with him that evening. Noah cooked a delicious feast of fresh berries, warm milk and rabbit stew and regaled the miser on his adventure into the forest and explained how he survived on forest fruits and fish he caught in the stream. “You are certainly a richer man than I” said the miser, “although I may have a wealth of gold and silver, you my friend have a wealth of knowledge and I am indebted to you”

From that day on, Noah and the miser were the best of friends. Noah moved into the house to his very own warm bedroom and in return, Noah taught the miser all that he knew. The miser no longer asked Noah to do all the cooking and cleaning and would fetch and pay for groceries and clothing for both of them from the town. Soon the towns people grew to know and love both the miser and Noah for there very generous nature and visited them regularly. The miser no longer counted his money all day and lived out his life with the knowledge that being rich of friendship was much more important than being rich of money.