A while back there was a man
Who worked at the town’s largest bank.
Money he loved, and money he had
And he lived for nothing more.
For none he cared, none cared for him
And the beggars he did so hate,
You could give him a present for free
Then he’d sell it back to the poor.
One day while walking home from work,
He took a pathway through the park.
And from behind a tree there appeared
A grey fox, so regal and wise.
“What’s this I see before my eyes,
So majestic and beautiful?
A fox of grey, so rare to find,
With a coat soft as a lamb’s wool.”
The fox did rise to its hind feet
And stared him to his face.
And the fox to the man did entreat
And no time he bothered to waste.
“Arrogant man, I know your name!
You are rich and care for no one.
O! but money shall not buy you fame,
My friend, when thy life is undone!”
“For ‘tis not but a false idol,
That men will so blindly follow.
Wealth is not a virtue for people,
Your pride you must therefore swallow.”
The man stared blankly at the fox,
As though he did not understand.
Then broke into an ignorant laugh,
And to the fox did speak the man;
“Oh foolish fox, thou cannot see,
Wealth doesn’t buy just hats and rings.
There are more important things for me,
But you need, too, to buy these things.”
“Love, and your health and happiness,
All these things will never be free.
In a perfect world these would class best,
But in this one will never be.”
The fox did drop its head and sighed
And turned its tail to walk away.
And disappeared into the white snow,
As the man continued his walk.
The banker saw a beggar child
Who asked if he could spare some change.
And the man did strike the child so hard
The poor child can no longer talk.
The man went to a gathering,
Of other bankers and the sort,
And had some drinks ‘til he could not stand,
And then stumbled back to his home.
But when he arrived and went in,
Something hit him right on the head.
And everything went black as his heart
Until he woke up all alone.
And found himself tied to a chair,
All his money spread on the floor.
And in front of him there stood some men,
He thought all of them looked so poor.
“I beg you all, please do no harm!
You must never have heard my name!
I am very rich and full of charm,
What they’re paying, I’ll pay the same!”
But of the men, not one did move,
Just stared into his fearful face.
And thus one of them did step forward,
And promptly he did make his case.
“Oh banker! High and mighty, thee,
Who thinks himself above the rest!
T’was my brother thou didst strike this eve,
An innocent you thought a pest.”
“Now we have come to avenge him,
You money just will not do.
And since your wealth does provoke your sin,
We destroy your money with you.”
The men did turn his chair around,
And lit a fire in the pit.
Spilt oil under the chair he sat,
And a trail of bills between.
They laughed and tossed all his money,
Into the fire, burning bright.
The bills did slowly burn towards him,
And lit the oil underneath.
And as our banker slowly died,
He did laugh with his final breath.
For the wealth he thought kept him alive
Was now the result of his death.
