Quick Stories #2 - The workman and the beggar

The workman and the beggar

One day a workman was up on the roof of his house mending a hole in the tiles. He had nearly finished and he was pleased was pleased with his work. Suddenly, he heard a voice below call.
“Hello.”
When he looked down, the workman saw an old man in dirty clothes standing below.
“What do you want?” asked the workman.
“Come down and I’ll tell you,” called the man. The workman was annoyed, but he was a polite man, so he put down his tools carefully and climbed all the way down to the ground.
“What do you want?” he asked when he reached the ground.
“Could you spare a little change for an old beggar?” asked the man. The workman thought for a minute. Then he said, “Come with me.”
He began climbing the ladder again. The old man followed him all the way to the top of the house where he had been working. The beggar was red faced and tired from the climb. When they were both sitting on the roof, the workmen turned to the beggar.
“………………………………………………” he said.