The profitable ghost

 "Once upon a time there was a gentleman who owned a very very old house, built taking advantage of the remains of an ancient monastery. The gentleman decided that he wanted to demolish it, but nevertheless considered that task would involve too much effort and money, and began to think of some way to achieve it without incurring any cost to him.

The man then decided to create and begin spreading the rumor that the house was enchanted and inhabited by a ghost. He also made a white suit or costume with sheets, next to an explosive device that generated a flare and left behind a sulphur smell. After telling the rumor to several people, including some disbelievers, he convinced them to come to his house. There he activated the ingenuity, causing the neighbors to panic and believe the rumor was true. Gradually more and more people would see the said spectral ed, and the rumor grew and spread among the locals.

After that, the gentleman also spread the rumour that the reason the ghost was there could be the fact that there was a hidden treasure in the house, so in a short time he began digging to find him. Although he didn't, the neighbors also began to believe that there could be some treasure in the place. And one day, some neighbors asked if they could help him dig, in exchange for them being able to take the treasure.

The owner of the house replied that it would not be fair for them to throw the house down and take the treasure, but he magnanimously offered them that if they dug and removed the debris that their action generated and in the process they found the treasure, he would accept that they would take half. Neighbors accepted and got to work.

Soon the ghost disappeared, but in order to motivate them the knight arranged twenty-seven gold coins in a hole in the chimney that he later covered. When the neighbors found him, he offered to keep everything as long as the rest they found were dealt. This further motivated the neighbors, who, in the hope of finding more, were digging to the ground. In fact, they did find some valuables from the ancient monastery, something that spurred them even further. In the end, the house was completely demolished and the debris removed, fulfilling the gentleman's desire and employing just a little wit for it."

This story was created by Robinson Crusoe's writer, Daniel Defoe, and tells us a story in which we can see the value of intelligence and cunning, as well as the fact that being greedy can lead us to be manipulated and used without us even noticing.

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