Corn is a crop which hides its riches beneath a less appealing cover.  Noting this, the riddle presented here compares corn to a wealthy man, the corn's tassel being his facial hair and the ripe kernels being yellow pearls; he wears a husk like a thin beggar's cloak. This image is a powerful reflection on modesty and virtue as a form of wealth.  Despite its natural riches, corn wears a vagabond's clothes.