An old man died and left his son a fortune. However, the son was foolish and quickly squandered all the money, leaving himself with nothing. Naturally, when his wealth vanished, all his friends deserted him. Poor and alone, he went to see Nasreddin, a kind and clever old man known for helping people in trouble.
'My money is gone and my friends have left,' said the young man. 'What will become of me now?'
'Don't worry, young man,' answered Nasreddin. 'Everything will soon be all right again. Wait, and you will soon feel much happier.'
The young man was delighted. 'Am I going to get rich again then?' he asked.
'No, I didn't mean that,' said the old man. 'I meant that you would soon get used to being poor and to having no friends.'