The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-05-23
A LAZY BOY,

He Wishes That Work Would Do Itself
The Unhappiness which Followed the
Granting Of His Wish, and How He Be
game Industrious and Therefore Happy.
Once upon a time there was very
lazy little boy. He never did any work
that he could avoid, and any task that
he was obliged to perform he did I'M
willingly, and with sad long face.
At school h seldom knew his lessons,
because he would not spend the time
necessary to learn them; and when his
teacher except him in after school
hours, The punishment had little effect
on him, because he had only to sit
still
One day his parents went off on a
visit to be gone several days. Before
leaving, they told him to cut some
branches Of trees that We're lying around
the place and to put them in the wood
bin in the cellar.
After they had gone, the lazy little
boy sat down beside the wood, and
mOaned. and drew his Jacket sleeve
across his face to remove the tears of
discomfort that coursed down his
checks.
Il wish this wood would break itself
up and take itself INTO the house, and
that all my work would do itself. Then
| should have NOTHING to do but play.
But OF course / can be in such fairy
land as that would be-.
Yes, YOU cam said a bumble-bce
that had alighted on rose near by.
Il have Just signaled a number of my
fellOw-beeS and some ants. They are
all hard workers, and from them | am
going 20 select a jury to decide whether
you are guilty or not -
The lazy little boy did not like the
idea of being talked TO in this way by a
bee, and he felt disposed to make some
rude reply, but refrained in considcra-
ton Of the bees sting, and his ability
to use it.
Suppose YOU decide that am
guilty. asked the lazy little boy,
what then?'
Then, replied the bee in a tone of
authority, you shall not take the
slightest trouble about ANYTHING Your
work shall do itself, and YOU shall be in
the kind of fairy land YOU lust spoke Of
That wood will break itself and 90 into
the house, and your other duties will
perform themselves"
'Good! good'' said the lazy little
boy. 81 shall be happy now" And he
smiled kindly upon the bee
The bee then pluckcd Il number of
rose leaves, and on each of twelve of
them there was dew drop.
The leaves without dew drons are
the blanks, remarked the bee. land
those with dew drops on them mean
that the bees and ants drawing them
must serve on the Jury"
Then the bee took these leaves and
dropped them into a great new-blown
lily; and as She did this she summoned
a bat to come down and do the draw
ing. because the bat was blind, and
could not tell which leaves were
gemmed and which were not
And the bat drew a leaf when a name
was called, and the jury was soon Sc
lected 1t consisted of about equal
numbers of b ,es and ants, and they sat
side by side in two rows upon one of
Tue limbs that the lazy little boy had
been ordered to cut.
The bee that was to be the Judge sat
opposite Just under large red rose,
aid looked very severe. A few hum
ming birds and butterflies fingered
arotud to hear the trial, and an indo-
lentold spider stretched himself in his
WEI and bllnked lazily at the proceed
ms.
After the bee had related the story of
me lazy lttle boys complaint on being
asked to do an easy and reasonable
piece of work he asked the Jury what
they thought about it, and the Jury
looked very much concerned, as though
it had n solemn case to decide, and
wished to decide it conscirntiously.
SO Just u soon as the Judge bee had
concluded his story, the jury retired.
The six ants got on the backs of the six
bees and they flew away into a crimson
hOllyhOck tnat was so high from the
ground that no one could hear what
they were talking about After they
had been in the hollyhock about a min
ute they agreed on a verdict, and when
they had returned to their seats they
pronounced the lazy little boy guilty,
and the bee sentenced him to become
subject Of his own wish.
After Judge and jury had departed,
the lazy little boy sat looking at the
limbs he had been ordered to chop.
Much to his surprise they began to
bend themselves backward and for
ward until they broke themselves into
pieces small enough to fit an ordinary
fire place. When the limbs were broken
the straight pieces rolled across the