Abbreviations of two neighbors in European folktales

Many years ago, Kyoto had two neighbors. One is a poor shoemaker, and the other is a rich boss of fishing line. The owner of the fishing line cuts and cooks fish from morning till night. He put the fish on the bamboo, put it on the stove, smoked it and dried it. The eels he cooked are particularly delicious. He soaked them in soy sauce, then put them in an oil pan and poured some vinegar on them. In short, this man knows his own business! The owner of this fish shop has only one shortcoming: he is too stingy to owe anyone money.

Besides, his neighbor, a poor shoemaker, likes eating eels very much. But he never has extra money to buy fish to taste. But there are also poor ways. Our poor shoemaker found a way to restrain his desire for eels.

One day at noon. At dinner time, he went to the fish shop owner's house, took out a piece of rice cake from his pocket and sat by the stove burning smoked fish. After sitting by the fire, the poor shoemaker chatted with the owner of the fish shop and greedily sucked the smell of smoked fish.

How delicious this tastes! The shoemaker is eating rice cakes with fishy smell. He seems to feel a fat and soft eel in his mouth.

The shoemaker just sits there all day.

Finally, the stingy fish shop owner found out the shoemaker's strategy and decided to charge him anyway.

One morning, the shoemaker was mending his shoes. The owner of the fish shop walked into the shoemaker's house and silently handed him a piece of paper, which said that the shoemaker had been to the fish shop several times and smoked fish several times.

"Sir, why did you give me this paper?" Asked the shoemaker.

"Why?" The boss cried, "Do you think everyone can come to my shop to smoke the delicious smoked fish? Don't! This kind of enjoyment must be paid! "

Without saying a word, the shoemaker took out two coppers from his pocket, put them in the teacup, covered them with his palm and began to shake the teacup. Copper coins make a loud noise.

After a few minutes, he put the teacup on the table, touched the note brought by the fish shop owner with a fan and said, "Now, we have offset the debt!" " "

"How to offset? what did you say ? /Excuse me? Won't you pay? "

"I have already paid you!"

"I pay you the smell of eels with the voice of copper coins. If you think my nose is longer than your ears, then I can shake this teacup for a few more minutes! "

When the shoemaker finished, he reached for the teacup. But the stingy boss hurried back to his shop before making a sound.