Arizona in the Saddle | Page 21

the wise prospector
By Jim Olson, ©2014, www.JimOlsonAuthor.com

O

ne day, high in the Sierras, an old
prospector came across a large gold
nugget in a stream. It was as big as
your fist! He also found a much smaller,
but still very respectable sized nugget
next to it. He immediately packed his
burro and headed for town with his new
treasures. Hard work and perseverance
had paid off!
As he approached town, after a long
three-day hike from the high country,
the prospector spotted a local shifty
character, a fast talker who never seemed
to be at work, but always talked big plans.
The man approached the prospector with
a quick buck on his mind, as it was well
known around the area that when the
prospector came to town, he usually had
gold with him.

“Sir, can you spare some gold dust? You
see, I haven’t eaten in days and my wife
and children, why, they’re hungry too!”
begged the slacker.

to be very needy of this, perhaps it will
solve your woes,” was all he said. Then he
turned around and headed back towards
the hills.

Without batting an eye, the prospector
pulled the smaller nugget out and offered
it to the him. However, in the process,
the swindler got a good look at the much
larger nugget in the man’s pack. Greed
took over!

The slacker could not believe his good
fortune! He’d really pulled one over on
that ‘ol prospector. Now, he would have
it all! He happily raced for town to throw
around the weight of his new found
fortune.

The man excitedly talked about what he
could do if he only had a stake. Why,
with a nugget as big as that one, he’d be
on easy street the rest of his life. He could
make a fortune. His wife would wear the
finest clothes. His children could get the
best education. He would hob-nob with
the important folk in town! He laid it on
real thick.

A few weeks went by...

“Sir, if you would only let me borrow
THAT nugget, I would surely repay
you when I could. I would invest it and
make us both a nice profit!” The sly man
begged—on and on he went.
The old man knew in his heart it was
all a lie, however, something inside
told him to give it up. Incredibly,
the ol’ prospector reached out and
handed over the treasure. “You seem

Back at the stream, while panning for
nuggets on a sunny afternoon high in
the Sierras, the prospector spotted the
town man coming towards him. He was
shocked. Either he had come to beg for
more nuggets—or perhaps, just perhaps,
the man was actually here to pay him
back like he promised. Either way, he
waited to see what would come about.
“I am so glad to have finally found you.
I have been looking for you for days,”
puffed the exhausted man.
“What may I help you with?” asked the
prospector.
“I come for treasure,” the man sheepishly
admitted.
continued on page 22

AZintheSaddle.com

May 2014

21