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An old man fell ill. He knew he was going to die soon. He had very few friends, but he called the 3 people that he trusted most in the world to come to his bedside: his priest, his doctor, and his lawyer.
"I don't have a lot of time left," he told them. "I don't have any family or close friends. So I've emptied my bank accounts and I have all my money right here with me, in cash. I don't want the government to get it, so I'm taking it with me!!"
He handed one envelope each to the priest, the doctor and the lawyer.
"Each one of you has a third of my life savings. When I die, I want you each to put your envelope in my casket so I can be buried with my entire net worth." The 3 men all agreed.
When the old man died, the lawyer, the doctor and the priest all attended the funeral and one by one, each one approached the coffin and dutifully slipped his envelope under the pillow inside.
After the service, the 3 men met to toast the memory of the old man. The priest spoke up and said, "I have to tell you both, I feel somewhat guilty. I couldn't stop thinking about the needs of the poor in town. And although I put most of the money into the coffin, I kept some to feed the homeless."
The doctor consoled the priest. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Father. I was thinking about the children's hospital and the new equipment they need there. So while I put most of the money into the casket, I too kept some to donate to the children's hospital."
The lawyer said, "I'm shocked at both of you. That's completely unethical. I put a check in for the entire amount!"
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