The Niggard Man

Long ago, an old chemist called Kassim lived in Baghdad. He was rich but he also very mean. Kassim's arms are too short to reach his pockets, said one neighbour. He buries his money in the ground, said another. Perhaps he thinks it will grow like a plant !
Kassim hides his money in drawers, said another neighbour. Does he think it will makes his clothes smell sweet?
If Kassim thought that, he was wrong. His clothes never smell sweet because he was too mean to wash them.
He was too mean to buy soap, so of course he was much too mean to buy new clorhes.
Every time a hole appeared Kassim mended it. He wore the same shoes for twenty years. He mended them so often that they became huge and heavy. They no longer looked like shoes, but Kassim still wore them. Everyone made about Kassim's shoes.

Every year Kassim had a bath. One fine morning he decided. Today's the day. He left his terrible old shoes on the step of the baths and went inside. The servants were good at their jop. They washed Kassim with soap and hard brushes. They dried him with soft towels. They rubbed his body with sweet oil. It was hard work, but at last Kassim was fresh and clean again.
While this was happening another man decided to visit the baths. He took off his shoes and left them on the step.
He saw Kassim's shoes and said to the servant at the door, You will frighten everyone away if you leave Kassim's shoes there. The servant picked up the old shoes with a long stick. He put them in a dark corner.
When Kassim came out of the baths he saw the other man's shoes on the step. "This is wonderful! he cried. I have often wanted some shoes like these. Now god has answered my prayers. His feet felt as light as air in the new shoes.
When the other man came out of the bath hs shoes were not there. He soon smelt Kassim's shoes brought them out of their dark corner, He went to Kassim's chemist shop.
Come out, thief!' he roared. Give me my shoes ! Kassim had to give the man his shoes. Next time. I shall call the police !' said the owner of the shoes. Kassim had to pay money to keep quiet. Now take your shoes, the angry man shouted to Kassim.
Kassim was angry and ashamed. Also, it hut him to spend money. He threw the shoes over his garden wall.

The shoes hit an old lady on the head and killed her. Her family cried and shouted 'Murder. The police arrived and found the sheos. They knew them at once, of course. Soon Kassim was a prisoner. The judge sent for the executioner. Cooose, he told Kassim. You can pay the murdered woman's family or you must die. You must decided.
It cost kassm twenty thousand glod pieses, but at last he was free again. He took off his shoes and jumped on them. He kicked them, but they hurt his feet too much. He threw the shoes in the river.
Fish tried to eat the shoes. They rolled over on their backs and dead. At last the shoes caught in a fisherman's net. They tore the net and fish escaped. The fisherman pulled the net into the boat and found the shoes.
Kassim's shoes ! he shouted. Kassim will pay for this, The fisherman was a huge, strong man. He took the shoes to Kassim's shop and threw them against the wall. Glass bottles fell from the shelves and broke on the floor.
Your shoes tore my net ! roared the fisherman. He picked Kassim up in one huge hand and shook him like a rat.

After the fisherman left, Kassim cleaned the blood off the face. He picked up the broken bottles. Then he took shoes and burried them in the garden. Some people saw him. Kassim is burying treasure, they said. The news flew round the town.
Soon a crowd of people were in Kassim's garden, looking for treasure. There is no treasure here, said Kassim. No one belived him. At last he had to pay everyone a gold piece to go away. After they left he looked in his money boxes. They were empty.
What can i do with these terrible shoes? cried Kassim. He picked them up and ran to the judge's office...........