Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-18
CHILDREN ) CORN1R
A STORY FOR THE LITTLE
FOLKS.
TIE SEVEN LAZY BOYS.

hGch &CAN6AhAJ AG GO4auAAbCI
with street which is called Lazy-street
Now pay close attention to what | am
going to say, and promise that you will
learn all the lessons~ you can from
this story, and ] will tell you, before
finish, how people came to call street
in Bremen by the name Of Lazy-street
Near where the street now stands
there was once thick forest. Ihe
trees we're old, but very strong and
large. just on the edge of the forest
there lived on aged couple who had
seven sons. The father was an naust
trious man, cultivated his field with
care, attended to his COW, and supported
his whole family by bis own exertions
But it was very different with bis seven
sons. They had long legs, broad backs,
very strong arms, and well formed
heads. They were able to do great deal
of work and relieve their father of all
exertion, but they preferred to do
nothing. Nc
Their parents were very kind a1d
patient towards them. The neighpors
said of the seven large lazy boys that
they had been spoiled. By and by, every
body in Bremen-which was in those
distant times only small town-beeame
acquainted with the sons of the old man,
and many persons made sport of them
Even the boys in the street would say
when one of them passed, "See therel
yonder goes one of the seven lazy
brothersr' -.
The river Weser ran close to the field
of the aged father. Often his seven in
dolent sons would go down to the bank
and lie there under the shade of an
elm and sleep many hours at time.
In the course of few months the sailors
found them out, and when the boats
passed you could have heard Jack Tar
say, "Look under the tree; there are
the seven lazy boys T. But the big boys
did not like such expressions, and after
hearing them great many times they
left the river bank, and found their way
into the large thick forest.
They thought that nobody would see
them now. So they lay down in the
thick moss, talked little while about
different useless things, and finally
went to sleep. They kept up this habit
a long time But when autumn came
the boys and girls went through the
forest to gather acorns and chestnuts.
Where they saw the seven lazy sons--
who were almost grown men---they
laughed at them, and cried out, "Here
are the seven lazy brothers whom eve
rybody laughs at. The chestnuta fall
right down on them, but they have not
energy enough 20 brush them off, or
even hull them and eat them" One
would have thought that these lazy sons
of poor and Industrious father would
be ashamed to let him do all the work.
But they never offered to do thing; and
when they strolied off to lie on the
ground and sleep somewhere, they new
er came back until their good mother
had prepared their meal.
One day the eldest of the brothers
said to the others, Just think how
everybody laughs at US. We can not 60
anywhere without even the children
coming up behind us and pulling our
coats, and crying out, What lazy fell
lows these brothers arel If every one
were like them nothing would be done.
Even school-teachers, when they want
to show their scholars the evils of idle
ness, say, Look how the seven lazy
brothers live. Never be idle, for you
might become as bad as they are. Let
Us go to work. Let rs do anything
honorable sooner than permit our good
old father spend all his strength for u.s.
all the remaining six brothers reused
up, rubbed their eyes, and laughed at
what the eldest had said Finally, he
won them over to his side, aud it was
concluded unanimously that they should
leave home and seek livelihood in
some other part of the country. At the
dinner table they told their father what
conclusion they had come to- He
laughed at them, and said, F" You have
been idle too long. | fear, to become in
dustrious now. But if you are really
determined to do some work, which is
honest and worthy, will give each Of
you twenty-five dollars in gold, and 9
new suit of clothes But you must give
E me some proof that you are honest in
your professions. / will give each one
of you an axe and a spade, and you
must carry the axes on your right
shoulders and the spades in your lef
hands, and walk through Bremen. The
eldest must go first and the youngest be
last in the procession. Can you dc
that2' sazsl
The seven brothers looked at eacl
other, and finally shook their heads.
They concluded that they could not do it.
Then their father said /" If you are no
willing to make some sacrifice, and per
NIT the world to see that you intend tt
be Industrious in the future, can ,pu
no confidence in your resolutions"
The sons consulted further, and de
termined TO walk through Bremen will
axes on their right shoulders and spade
in their left hands 1t would have ae
tonished you if you had seen how tn
people came ont of their homes to lool
at the seven lazy brothers with such i'm
plements of work in their possession
Some persons cried out, "The worl,
must be coming TO an end Other
said, That is the most wonderful
sight we ever saw.
: On Saturday the following week th
old father gave his sons the money an
clothes which he had promised them
and then they started of in procession
Their mother said, "They will ell b.
home again tomorrow" Their fathe
replied, well, am not SO shure o
that, They seem determined to do wor
Of some kind I think they are resolve
to mend their lives and set an exampl
of industry E F.ns,
The brothers wandered far away fror
home. They hired themselves out to
manufacturer and worked with grea
energy. They were very tired at first
and it seemed to them that they coul
hardly live; but they kept to thei
resolution, and finally conquered. The
gradually rose from humble to
higher position, and acquired niue
property. From time to time they ser
home as many as three hundred dollar
at once to their aged parents
One bright and beautiful May morn
ing every body IN Bremen seemed to b
out of doors The old town cloc
struck eleven, and Just then you migl
have seen seven men coming into tow
on foot. They were well dressed, an
had the appearance of gentlemen. /
one respect they looked like hard work
ing laborers; they had axes on the
right shoulders andsspades in their lie
hands. The people in the streets sal
to one another, t'Can they be the seve
lazy brothers They are evidently nc
lazy now. See how briskly they wal
how healthy they look, and how ere
they hold their heads But they real
are the sons Of that very old man who
now 40 advanced that he can do l
more work. Where have they been q
this time y
You can imagine what an exciteme
the seven brothers made in Bremel
and how uled their old father and moth