Twelve servants who had done nothing all the day would not exertthemselves at night either, but laid themselves on the grass and boasted oftheir idleness. The first said, What is your laziness to me, I have to concernmyself about mine own? The care of my body is my principal work, I eat not alittle and drink still more. When I have had four meals, I fast a short timeuntil I feel hunger again, and that suits me best. To rise betimes is not forme; when it is getting near mid-day, I already seek out a resting-place formyself. If the master call, I do exactly as if I had not heard him, and if hecall for the second time, I wait awhile before I get up, and go to him veryslowly. In this way life is endurable. The second said, I have a horse to lookafter, but I leave the bit in his mouth, and if I do not want to do it, I givehim no food, and I say he has had it already. I, however, lay myself in the oat-chestand sleep for four hours. After this I stretch out one foot and move it acouple of times over the horses body, and then he is combed and cleaned. Who isgoing to make a great business of that? Nevertheless service is too toilsomefor 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 whyshould I get up? I let it rain on in Gods name. At last came a splashingshower, so heavy indeed, that it pulled the hair out of my head and washed itaway, and I got a hole in the skull; I put a plaster on it, and then it was allright. I have already had several injuries of that kind. The fourth said, If Iam to undertake a piece of work, I first loiter about for an hour that I maysave up my strength. After that I begin quite slowly, and ask if no one isthere who could help me. Then I let him do the chief of the work, and inreality only look on; but that also is still too much for me. The fifth said,What does that matter? Just think, I am to take away the manure from the horsesstable, and load the cart with it. I let it go on slowly, and if I have takenanything on the fork, I only half-raise it up, and then I rest just a quarterof an hour until I quite throw it in. It is enough and to spare if I take out acartful in the day. I have no fancy for killing myself with work. The sixthsaid, Shame on ye; I am afraid of no work, but I lie down for three weeks, andnever once take my clothes off. What is the use of buckling your shoes on? Foraught I care they may fall off my feet, it is no matter. If I am going up somesteps, I drag one foot slowly after the other on to the first step, and then Icount the rest of them that I may know where I must rest. The seventh said, Thatwill not do with me; my master looks after my work, only he is not at home thewhole day. But I neglect nothing, I run as fast as it is possible to do whenone crawls. If I am to get on, four sturdy men must push me with all theirmight. I came where six men were lying sleeping on a bed beside each other. Ilay down by them and slept too. There was no wakening me again, and when theywanted to have me home, they had to carry me. The eighth said, I see plainlythat I am the only active fellow; if a stone lie before me, I do not givemyself the 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 until thesun has dried me again. At the very most, I only turn myself so that it canshine on me. The ninth said, That is the right way! To-day the bread was beforeme, but I was too idle to take it, and nearly died of hunger! Moreover a jugstood by it, but it was so big and heavy that I did not like to lift it up, andpreferred bearing thirst. Just to turn myself round was too much for me, Iremained lying like a log the whole day. The tenth said, Laziness has broughtmisfortune on me, a broken leg and swollen calf. Three of us were lying in theroad, and I had my legs stretched out. Some one came with a cart, and thewheels went over me. I might indeed have drawn my legs back, but I did not hearthe cart coming, for the midges were humming about my ears, and creeping in atmy nose and out again at my mouth; who can take the trouble to drive the verminaway? 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 away again.There was no end of it all day long. But to tell the truth, he gave me mydismissal, and would not keep me any longer, for his clothes, which I had leftlying in the dust, were all moth-eaten, and I am very glad of it. The twelfthsaid, To-day I had to drive the cart into the country, and made myself a bed ofstraw on it, and had a good sleep. The reins slipped out of my hand, and when Iawoke, the horse had nearly torn itself loose, the harness was gone, the strapwhich fastened the horse to the shafts was gone, and so were the collar, thebridle and bit. Some one had come by, who had carried all off. Besides this,the cart had got into a quagmire and stuck fast. I left it standing, and stretchedmyself on the straw again. At last the master came himself, and pushed the cartout, and if he had not come I should not be lying here but there, and sleepingin full tranquillity.