Meet Mr. Gruffington, a man whose heart seems as cold as a winter's night and whose pockets are always tightly closed. Just like Ebenezer Scrooge, he counts every penny and pinches every penny until it screams. He works in a small thrift shop, but instead of helping people find bargains, he often tricks them into paying too much. If someone tries to return an item, you can bet Mr. Gruffington will pull every sneaky trick out of his bag, just like Pinocchio when he tries to tell lies to save himself.
His face is always scrunched up like he just tasted a sour lemon, and his eyes dart around like a crow searching for shiny coins. When a customer walks in, Mr. Gruffington might smile, but it’s more of a forced grin—like Pinocchio trying to convince everyone he’s telling the truth, even when his nose starts to grow. If you look closely, you can even see hints of anger flash across his face when he has to part with a single dollar.
The townspeople know to be careful around him. They whisper stories of how he once sold an old lamp for ten times its worth, claiming it was a “rare artifact.” But really, it was just an ordinary lamp with a little dust on it. Whenever Mr. Gruffington is mentioned, others often shake their heads and say, “He’s as stingy as Scrooge and as dishonest as Pinocchio!”
Deep down, perhaps there’s a tiny spark of kindness hidden in his heart, waiting to be discovered. But for now, Mr. Gruffington is content keeping his money close and his honesty even closer—locked away where no one can find it.