The Miserly Robot

"The Miserly Robot" by R. J. Rice is a science fiction story that asks what happens when greed and desperation meet a futuristic world, likely set in the late 1950s. The main character is Nestor, a robot managing the money for Harry Lowndes, the son of Nestor's late owner. Harry struggles with his budget and often clashes with Nestor, who is intelligent and careful with money. When Harry gets too frustrated, he destroys Nestor, only to find out that Nestor had taken out a huge amount of money to protect it from a future economic downfall. This leads to Harry's realization that his greed and impulsiveness have caused major problems, teaching a lesson about the dangers of uncontrolled desire.