The Rich Kid Flips His Coins

There was a rich kid sitting by the side of a stream flipping gold and silver coins into the water.  

It was beautiful.

The bank was deep with grass.  It was a clear stream, running over sand, and he had picked a spot where the stream ran around a large boulder and briefly widened and slowed.  You could see clearly down to the bottom.  The gold sparkled in the sunlight as it flipped.  It threw crystal drops into the air and made little dark shadows from the ripples of the splash.  Minnows momentarily flitted.

On the other bank was crouched a poor kid.  He stared intensely.  From time to time he would dart in and pick up the coins.  He knew exactly where each one was.

The spirits of the place were  interested.  One of them–it was the spirit of the boulder–spoke up.

Why do you toss your wealth into the water

For the beauty of it, the rich kid said.

Why does the other child grab them so and you do not

Because he is poor and I am rich

He tossed another coin.  It spun up and then plunked.

You will be poor and he will be rich

Yes.  The rich kid breathed in deeply the scented breeze.  He smiled.  I will be poor and he will be rich.

But the rich kid went on.

I will scramble in my poverty and he will make investments and grow even greater in his wealth, until one day he allows himself to come to this spot with his gold and silver.  He will enjoy the beauty of flipping it into the stream, and I will come in my pinched desperation to recover the coins.

You have been with us before, the boulder’s spirit said.

This isn’t our first time, the rich kid agreed.

With both hands he threw up gold and silver.