Wisdom story: How a trickster gets tricked while tricking a “fool”

In a small country town, there was a little boy who often visited the local barbershop. This barbershop was the only one in town, so it was always busy with customers. The boy had been coming there for as long as anyone could remember, always cheerful and polite. Yet, every time he entered, something peculiar happened, something that made the barber and the customers laugh. One day, as the boy stepped into the shop, the barber leaned over to a customer in his chair and whispered with a smirk, “Watch this. That kid is the most foolish boy in town. I’ll prove it to you.” Curious, the customer watched closely. The barber called the boy over, as he had done many times before. From behind the counter, he held out two choices. In his right hand, he had a crisp one-dollar bill, and in his left hand, he held two shiny quarters. The barber spoke with a playful tone, “Alright, son, which one do you want today?”

The little boy looked at both options, smiled brightly, and chose the two quarters. He thanked the barber politely and left the shop, happy as ever. The barber chuckled, shaking his head, “See? He does this every single week. He never learns. He always picks the two quarters. He could have had the dollar, but he doesn’t understand it’s worth more!” The customers in the shop laughed along, amused by what they thought was the boy’s simple-mindedness. But one man, the customer who had witnessed the scene for the first time, did not laugh. He felt something wasn’t quite right. As he left the barbershop, the man decided to walk around the town for a while. He hoped to find the boy and perhaps offer him some friendly advice about money. After a few minutes, he spotted the little boy happily coming out of the ice cream store, licking a cone of his favorite flavor. The man approached him gently and said, “Hey there, young man. May I ask you something? Why do you always choose the two quarters instead of the dollar bill? You know the dollar is worth more, right?”

The boy paused, took another lick of his ice cream, and looked up at the man with a knowing smile. His eyes sparkled with a hint of cleverness. “Of course, I know a dollar is worth more,” he said confidently. “But the day I take the dollar, the game is over. They won’t offer me any more money.” The man was taken aback. He realized that the boy was far from foolish; he was actually very smart. By choosing the quarters each time, the boy kept the barber and his customers entertained. They continued to offer him money week after week, and over time, he had earned much more than a single dollar. He had turned their laughter into his own small income, and he got to enjoy ice cream whenever he wanted. The boy taught the man that patience and understanding can lead to success. He also showed that sometimes, it is better to let others believe they are smarter while quietly working toward your own goals.