There was a man who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, and was a real miser when it came to his money.
Just before he died, an angel came and visited him on his bed, and told him he was about to die, tomorrow. He reminds the man that nothing from the world can come with him. The man pleaded with the angel, unable to bear the thought of leaving all his possessions behind.
“Please let me keep some! Please! I have no family and no friends. I’ve worked so hard for so long! Please ask God to have mercy on me!”
The angel tells the man he’ll be right back and goes to ask God. A moment later, he comes back with this message:
“All right. God has decided to make an exception for you, so I hope you’re grateful. Whatever you can pack into a standard briefcase, you can bring with you; but by this time tomorrow, you’ll be dead.”
The man is so pleased, he couldn’t stand the thought of all that wealth going to waste. So as soon as he is able, he gets as much gold bullion as will fit in a briefcase, and spends the rest of the day cuddling it, pleased that he made the right choice.
The time comes, and the man appears at the pearly gates, holding the treasured briefcase. He sees the angel at the gate and goes over to say thank you. The angel asks the man what he brought with him, which was so urgent.
With a satisfied smile, the man opens the briefcase, revealing its glittering contents. The angel looks at him, nonplussed, and says
“You brought paving slabs?!?”
