A STORY FOR THE LAZY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1378, 25 March 1915, Page 4

A STORY FOR THE LAZY.

THE PERILS OF LOAFING. David Gibson, of Cleveland, says:—“lf you have anybody working tor you and they lie down on their job, don't fire them at once —just call them in and tell this story :

“Down in Virginia a farmer had an ox and a mule that he hitched together to a plough. One night, after several days of continuous ploughing, and alter the ox and mule had been stabled and pro vendered for the night, Lae o- -aio j to the mule, ‘we’ve been wou.'n pretty hard, let’s play off sick tomorrow and lie here in the seal's j all day,’ I “ ‘You can if you want to, 5 re j turned the mule, ‘but I bellc- e I ’ go to work.’ So the next morn iug when the fanner came o”t the ox played off sick ; the Urmer bedded him down with clean straw', gave hint fresh h<?y, a bucket of oats and bran mixed, left him (or the day, and went forth alone with the mule to plough. All that d*>y the or. lay in bis stall, chewed bis cud and nodded, slowly blinked bis eyes and gently swished his t ail. That night, when the mule came in, the ox asked how they got along ploughing alone all day. ‘Well,’ said the mule, ‘it was hard, and we didn’t get much done, and —’ ‘Did the old man have anything to say about me?’ interrupted the ox. ‘No,’ replied the mule. “ ‘Weil, then,’ went on the ox, T believe I’ll play off again tomorrow ; it was certainly fine lying here all day and resting.’ ‘That’s up to yon,’ said the mule, ‘but I’ll go out and plough.’ So the next day the ox played off again, was bedded down with clean straw, provendered with hay, bran, and oats, and lay all day nodding, blinking, chewing his cud, and gently swishing his tail. “When the mule came in at night the ox asked again how they got along without him. ‘About the same as yesterday,’ replied the mule coldly. ‘Did the old man have anything to say about me ?’ again enquired the os. ‘No,’ replied the mule, ‘net to me, but he did have a long talk with the butcher on the way home.’ ”