Lazy Harry

by The Brothers Grimm

　　

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Harry was lazy, and although he had nothing else to do but drive hisgoat daily to pasture, he nevertheless groaned when he went home afterhis day's work was done. "It is indeed a heavy burden," said he, "anda wearisome employment to drive a goat into the field this way yearafter year, till late into the autumn! If one could but lie down andsleep, but no, one must have one's eyes open lest it hurts the youngtrees, or squeezes itself through the hedge into a garden, or runs awayaltogether. How can one have any rest, or peace of one's life?" He seatedhimself, collected his thoughts, and considered how he could set hisshoulders free from this burden. For a long time all thinking was to nopurpose, but suddenly it was as if scales fell from his eyes. "I knowwhat I will do," he cried, "I will marry fat Trina who has also a goat,and can take mine out with hers, and then I shall have no more need totrouble myself."

　　So Harry got up, set his weary legs in motion, and went right across thestreet, for it was no farther, to where the parents of fat Trina lived,and asked for their industrious and virtuous daughter in marriage. Theparents did not reflect long. "Birds of a feather, flock together,"they thought, and consented.

　　So fat Trina became Harry's wife, and led out both the goats. Harry hada good time of it, and had no work that he required to rest from buthis own idleness. He only went out with her now and then, and said,"I merely do it that I may afterwards enjoy rest more, otherwise oneloses all feeling for it."

　　But fat Trina was no less idle. "Dear Harry," said she one day, "whyshould we make our lives so toilsome when there is no need for it, andthus ruin the best days of our youth? Would it not be better for us togive the two goats which disturb us every morning in our sweetest sleepwith their bleating, to our neighbor, and he will give us a beehivefor them. We will put the beehive in a sunny place behind the house,and trouble ourselves no more about it. Bees do not require to be takencare of, or driven into the field; they fly out and find the way homeagain for themselves, and collect honey without giving the very leasttrouble." "Thou hast spoken like a sensible woman," replied Harry. "Wewill carry out thy proposal without delay, and besides all that, honeytastes better and nourishes one better than goat's milk, and it can bekept longer too."

　　The neighbor willingly gave a beehive for the two goats. The bees flewin and out from early morning till late evening without ever tiring,and filled the hive with the most beautiful honey, so that in autumnHarry was able to take a whole pitcherful out of it.

　　They placed the jug on a board which was fixed to the wall of theirbed-room, and as they were afraid that it might be stolen from them,or that the mice might find it, Trina brought in a stout hazel-stick andput it beside her bed, so that without unnecessary getting up she mightreach it with her hand, and drive away the uninvited guests. Lazy Harrydid not like to leave his bed before noon. "He who rises early," said he,"wastes his substance."

　　One morning when he was still lying amongst the feathers in broaddaylight, resting after his long sleep, he said to his wife, "Womenare fond of sweet things, and thou art always tasting the honey inprivate; it will be better for us to exchange it for a goose with ayoung gosling, before thou eatest up the whole of it." "But," answeredTrina, "not before we have a child to take care of them! Am I to worrymyself with the little geese, and spend all my strength on them to nopurpose." "Dost thou think," said Harry, "that the youngster will lookafter geese? Now-a-days children no longer obey, they do according totheir own fancy, because they consider themselves cleverer than theirparents, just like that lad who was sent to seek the cow and chased threeblackbirds." "Oh," replied Trina, "this one shall fare badly if he doesnot do what I say! I will take a stick and belabour his skin for himwith more blows than I can count. Look, Harry," cried she in her zeal,and seized the stick which she had to drive the mice away with, "Look,this is the way I will fall on him!" She reached her arm out to strike,but unhappily hit the honey-pitcher above the bed. The pitcher struckagainst the wall and fell down in fragments, and the fine honey streameddown on the ground. "There lie the goose and the young gosling," saidHarry, "and want no looking after. But it is lucky that the pitcherdid not fall on my head. We have all reason to be satisfied with ourlot." And then as he saw that there was still some honey in one ofthe fragments he stretched out his hand for it, and said quite gaily,"The remains, my wife, we will still eat with a relish, and we will resta little after the fright we have had. What matters if we do get up alittle later the day is always long enough." "Yes," answered Trina, "weshall always get to the end of it at the proper time. Dost thou know thatthe snail was once asked to a wedding and set out to go, but arrived atthe christening. In front of the house it fell over the fence, and said,'Speed does no good.'"

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