The Statue Seller

A man carved a wooden statue of the god Hermes and took it to the market, but no buyer came near. Hoping to attract one, he began to call out that he was selling a god who brought luck and profit. A passer-by asked him, "Friend, if the god is so generous, why sell him instead of keeping his favours for yourself?" The man answered, "Because I need my profit now, and the god is in no hurry to grant his."