Lazy Bones

There once was a farmer who worked hard. He was always cold or always sunburned. It was a hard life, but he never complained.

The farmer had two sons. Both sons were lazier than any other sons. The farmer was saddened by the attitude of his sons. But try as he might, he was not able to convince the boys to do anything different. “How can I teach my boys to work hard?” he thought. “This farm has been part of our family for many generations. Each man has worked hard on the farm, but my sons seem more content to play and be lazy.”

The farmer pondered his problem. He just didn’t know what to do. Day in and day out, the farmer invited the sons to come help him work, but each day they declined and sat around playing card games and drinking root beer.

“I will soon die,” said the farmer one day. “A treasure has been buried somewhere on the farm. But I have not been able to find it. When I die, will you try to find it?”

The sons agreed, and the farmer soon died. The sons immediately began digging up the farm. They were eager to find the treasure. In all their digging they were able to overturn the soil and keep it moist. The farm did better than it ever had done, but the treasure was never found. Some say that to this day, the sons are still digging.