A man noticed that the chimney in his friend's house was too straight and positioned dangerously close to a pile of firewood. He warned his friend, "Having these two so close is a fire hazard. You should bend the chimney and move the firewood away to prevent a fire." The host dismissed the advice.
A few days later, a fire did break out for that very reason. Thanks to the neighbors' help, the damage was minimal. To express his gratitude, the host held a feast for all who had helped and rewarded them according to their contributions. However, the friend who had given the initial warning was not among those thanked.
Someone then reminded the host, "If you had listened to your friend's advice, you wouldn't have needed to reward us and would have avoided the loss altogether." Realizing his mistake, the host immediately went to invite his friend.