The fellow had no particular profession or marketable skills, but he was adept at living off the charity of others. This craft is sometimes known as that of the "mendicant." It happened one day that he was paying his monthly visit to a certain businessman, intending to "borrow" some money from him.
He knocks on the door, but there is no reply. He knocks again, and a disheveled-looking man answers the door.
"What's the matter," asks the mendicant. "Is something wrong?"
"I've gone bankrupt," says the businessman, "haven't you heard?"
"Certainly I've heard," says the fellow.
"Then what do you want from me?"
The mendicant replies,
"Ten cents on the dollar ..."