A LESSON FOR THE INDOLENT

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 352, 9 June 1877, Page 4

A LESSON FOR THE INDOLENT

There was a duke once who disguised himself and placed a great rock in the middle of the road near his palace. Next morning a peasant came that way with his oxcart. " Oh, these lazy people !" said he ; " there is this big stone lying right in the middle of the road, and no one will take the trouble to put it out of the way." And so Hans went on scolding about the laziness of the people. Next came a gay soldier along. His head was held so far back that he didn't notice the stone, and so he stumbled ovtr it. He began to storm at the country people around there for leaving a huge rock in the road. Then he went on. Next came a company of merchants. When they came to the stone, the road was so narrow that they had to go off in single file on the other side. One of them cried out, "Did anybody ever see the like of that big stone lying here the whole morning, and not a single person stopping to take it away ! : ' It lay there for three weeks, and no one tried to remove it. Then the duke sent around word to all the people on his lands to meet where the rocs lay, as he had something to tell them. The day came, and a. great crowd gathered. Old Hans, •the- farmer, was here, and so were the merchants A horn was henr.l, and a splendid cavalcade came galloping up. The duke got down from his horse, and began to speak to the people gathered there: "My friends, it was I who put this stone here, three weeks ago. Every passer-by has lef c it just where it was, and has scolded his neighbour for not taking it out of the way." He stooped down and lifted up the stone. Directly under-' neath it was a round hollow, and in the hollow lay a small leathern bag. The duke held np this bag, that all might see what was written on it: " For him who lifts np the stone. : ' He untied the bag, and turned it upside down, and out upon the stone fell a beautiful gold ring and twenty large bright gold coins. So they ail lost the prize because they had not learned a lesson, ot formed the habit of diligence. — Exchange.