GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES - online book

130 Fairy Stories Adapted & Arranged for young people

Share page

	536              THE RICH MAN'S GRAVE.
	beam from the rising sun appeared in the sky, and with a loud yell the wicked spirit fled ; the poor soul was saved. The peasant wished to divide the gold, but the soldier said: " No ; give my share to the poor. I will go home again with you, and we will live upon what is left in peace and happiness to the end of our days." § ! %\xt <Iluelbe Blew.
	Three farm servants, who had been doing nothing the whole day, were still as unwilling to exert themselves when evening came, and therefore lay down in the grass to enjoy their time of rest in idleness. Presently the first spoke and said, " What is the use to me of leisure time? I have nothing to do for myself, and my chief anxiety is to take care of my body and to eat and drink as much as I can. I can have four meals a day, but I like best to fast for a while after eating, till I feel really hungry, and then I can enjoy my food better. I don't like early rising—getting up at noon would suit me best. So when I am up I find a resting place and lie down, and if my master calls me I will not hear, neither the first time nor the second. And if at last I am obliged to rouse myself, I go as slowly as I can; and so I pass my life away." "I manage quite as well as you do," said the second. " I have a horse to take care of, but I can leave him with food in the manger, and go and sleep in the hayloft for hours. Sometimes I forget to give him his corn, but I always say he has had it. And when I wake up I put my best foot foremost, and comb him down once or twice with the currycomb, to make him look a little clean and polished. Why should I take much trouble over that? Oh, I can assure you my work is not very hard." "Why should we plague ourselves with work ?" said the third; " no good comes from it. I know I take mine easy enough. I often lie in the sun and sleep; or if it rains, and the drops fall on me, don't suppose I get up. No, I just lie and let it dry of itself. Once there came down such a large splash of rain that it tore the lair from my head and made a hole in my skull j but wh.t mat-