"You know how hard you worked for that money," Izzy continued. "Money don't grow on trees."
"She needed that money more than me," I replied. "She was hungry."
"Ah, you're just an easy mark," Izzy answered. "People see you coming a mile away and they take advantage of you."
"At times that's true," I said. "But most of the time these are people in need."
"If you was down and and out," replied Izzy, "And they had money, they wouldn't do nuthin for you."
"Maybe," I answered. "But I don't offer a helping hand based on what they might do for me if the situation was reversed. I do it because it's the right thing to do.
"I care about the well-being of others and this is a chance to help."
"I can't stand those moochers," Izzy answered. "You won't see me wasting my money on bums."
I laughed and replied, "Izzy, you're a mouse, you don't have any money."
"Yeah, but I'm just saying," said Izzy.
Two months later, winter set in and it was one of the coldest winters in many years. As a result, there were more people down on their luck and there was a shortage of almost everything.
One day there was a knock on my door. When I answered the door, at first I didn't see anyone.
"I'm down here," said a voice and as I looked down, it was Izzy.
"You got some extra cheese," Izzy asked. "I don't got none." "Of course Izzy," I replied, "I'll get it for you."
"Hey, while youse doing that, could I warm up by the fire," asked Izzy. "Sure," I said with a smile.
"And could I stay at your house for the rest of the winter? "Of course," I answered.
"But I do have a question," I said while putting my warm finger around Izzy's cold shoulders.
"Does this make you a moocher and me a sucker?"
"I was never down and out before," replied Izzy. "I never knew what it was like. I guess you ain't stupid after all.
"But you're still a sucker, my sucker," Izzy said with a big smile as he began to munch on my cheese and warm his feet by my fire.
Dick
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