The second said, "I have a horse to look after, but I leave the bit inhis mouth, and if I do not want to do it, I give him no food, and I sayhe has had it already. I, however, lay myself in the oat-chest and sleepfor four hours. After this I stretch out one foot and move it a coupleof times over the horse's body, and then he is combed and cleaned. Whois going to make a great business of that? Nevertheless service is tootoilsome for me."
The third said, "Why plague oneself with work? Nothing comes of it! Ilaid myself in the sun, and fell asleep. It began to rain a little,but why should I get up? I let it rain on in God's name. At last camea splashing shower, so heavy indeed, that it pulled the hair out of myhead and washed it away, and I got a hole in the skull; I put a plasteron it, and then it was all right. I have already had several injuriesof that kind."
The fourth said, "If I am to undertake a piece of work, I first loiterabout for an hour that I may save up my strength. After that I beginquite slowly, and ask if no one is there who could help me. Then I lethim do the chief of the work, and in reality only look on; but that alsois still too much for me."
The fifth said, "What does that matter? Just think, I am to take away themanure from the horse's stable, and load the cart with it. I let it goon slowly, and if I have taken anything on the fork, I only half-raiseit up, and then I rest just a quarter of an hour until I quite throw itin. It is enough and to spare if I take out a cartful in the day. I haveno fancy for killing myself with work."
The sixth said, "Shame on ye; I am afraid of no work, but I lie downfor three weeks, and never once take my clothes off. What is the useof buckling your shoes on? For aught I care they may fall off my feet,it is no matter. If I am going up some steps, I drag one foot slowlyafter the other on to the first step, and then I count the rest of themthat I may know where I must rest."
The seventh said, "That will not do with me; my master looks after mywork, only he is not at home the whole day. But I neglect nothing, Irun as fast as it is possible to do when one crawls. If I am to get on,four sturdy men must push me with all their might. I came where six menwere lying sleeping on a bed beside each other. I lay down by them andslept too. There was no wakening me again, and when they wanted to haveme home, they had to carry me." The eighth said, "I see plainly that I amthe only active fellow; if a stone lie before me, I do not give myselfthe trouble to raise my legs and step over it. I lay myself down on theground, and if I am wet and covered with mud and dirt, I stay lying untilthe sun has dried me again. At the very most, I only turn myself so thatit can shine on me." The ninth said, "That is the right way! To-day thebread was before me, but I was too idle to take it, and nearly died ofhunger! Moreover a jug stood by it, but it was so big and heavy that Idid not like to lift it up, and preferred bearing thirst. Just to turnmyself round was too much for me, I remained lying like a log the wholeday." The tenth said, "Laziness has brought misfortune on me, a broken legand swollen calf. Three of us were lying in the road, and I had my legsstretched out. Some one came with a cart, and the wheels went over me. Imight indeed have drawn my legs back, but I did not hear the cart coming,for the midges were humming about my ears, and creeping in at my nose andout again at my mouth; who can take the trouble to drive the vermin away?"
The eleventh said, "I gave up my place yesterday. I had no fancy forcarrying the heavy books to my master any longer or fetching them awayagain. There was no end of it all day long. But to tell the truth, hegave me my dismissal, and would not keep me any longer, for his clothes,which I had left lying in the dust, were all moth-eaten, and I am veryglad of it."
The twelfth said, "To-day I had to drive the cart into the country, andmade myself a bed of straw on it, and had a good sleep. The reins slippedout of my hand, and when I awoke, the horse had nearly torn itself loose,the harness was gone, the strap which fastened the horse to the shafts wasgone, and so were the collar, the bridle and bit. Some one had come by,who had carried all off. Besides this, the cart had got into a quagmireand stuck fast. I left it standing, and stretched myself on the strawagain. At last the master came himself, and pushed the cart out, and ifhe had not come I should not be lying here but there, and sleeping infull tranquillity."
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