Cei doisprezece servitori lenesi


The twelve idle servants


Doisprezece servitori lenesi, care nu facusera nimic si nu isi pusesera osul la treaba toata ziua, stateau intinsi pe iarba, laudandu-se cu lenevia lor.
Cel dintai a zis, Nu-mi pasa deloc de lenea voastra atat timp cat trebuie sa ma ocup de propria mea lene. Grija fata de burta este principala mea ocupatie, pentru ca nu mananc deloc putin si beau si mai mult decat imbuc. Dupa ce am parte de patru mese, nu trece mult timp si imi este iar foame, si lucrul asta imi convine de minune. Rasaritul soarelui nu ma poate desprinde de frumoasele mele visuri, si nici nu se apropie mijlocul zilei ca imi caut deja un loc de odihna. Daca ma cheama stapanul, pur si simplu ma fac ca nu-l aud, iar daca ma striga a doua oara, mai stau putin pana ma dezmortesc dupa somn, si ma duc la el cat se poate de alene. In acest fel, viata imi pare ca merita a fi traita.
Al doilea servitor s-a laudat: Eu trebuie sa ma grija de un cal, dar ii arunc in grajd numai o mana de fan, si, daca n-am chef, nu ii mai dau nimic de mancare, spunand ca si-a deja burta la cale. Apoi, ma intind in grajd si atipesc cam patru ore. Dupa asta, imi intind picioarele si mi le pun de vreo doua ori in miscare pana la cal, sa vad daca a fost argasit si curatat. Nu-I mare lucru! Cu toate astea, mi se pare am prea mult de munca.
Cel de-al treilea servitor a marturisit: Munca nu face decat sa te imbolnaveasca. Nu obtii nimic bun de la .u ma intind la soare si nu trece mult pana mi se-nchid ochii. Chiar daca incepe sa ploua putin, de ce m-as mai deranja sa ma ridic in picioare? Ploaia vine de la Dumnezeu. Chiar daca incepe sa toarne cu galeata, atat de tare incat apa apa da sa-mi smulga parul de pe cap si picaturile de ploaie imi fac o gaura in cap, nu fac decat sa imi pun plasture peste ea, si imi este bine pe mai departe. Am avut mai multe astfel de rani, dar nu le-am dat nici o atentie.
Al patrulea servitor a zis: Daca mi se da ceva de treaba, mai zabovesc vreun ceas, astfel incat sa nu imi istovesc puterile. Dupa asta, ma misc cat se poate de incat si intreb daca nu imi da nimeni ajutor. Daca se iveste vreu amator, ii las lui in seama munca, si nu fac decat sa ma uit la el. Cu toate acestea, ma simt isotvit din cale-afara!
Cel de-al cincelea servitor si-a dat cu parerea: Ce-i atata zarva cu munca sta? Ganditi-va numai ca trebuie sa strang balegarul din grajd si sa il incarc intr-o caruta. Nu ma fortez deloc, si daca iau ceva in furca, dau jos inapoi jumatate din incarcatura, si ma odihnesc un sfert de ora inainte de a a arunca acea povara in caruta. Este indeajuns de mult de munca si imi trebuie cam o zi ca sa umplu caruta cu balega. Nu cred ca exagerex cand zic ca munca o sa ma omoare pana la urma.
Al saselea servitor a exclamat: Rusine sa-mi fie! Nu-mi este frica de munca, dar obisnuiesc sa ma culc vreme de trei saptamani, fara a-mi mai da jos hainele. Ce rost mai are sa iti legi de atatea ori sireturile incaltarilor? Din partea mea, n-au decat sa imi cada din picioare, nu conteaza. Daca fac cativa pasi, imi tarai cat se poate de incet un picior dupa altul, si apoi numar cati mai trebuie sa fac inainte de a-mi gasi un loc de odihna.
Cel de-al saptelea servitor a obiectat: Mie nu mi se intampla asa ceva. Stapanul meu sta mereu pe capul meu, noroc ca este plecat toata ziua de acasa. Nu trec nimic cu vederea si fug cat se poate de repede cuiva pe care-l vad ca trage mata de coada. Daca ma apuc si eu asa de ceva e nevoie de patru oameni voinici sa ma dea deoparte. Ma duc imediat acolo unde vad sase flacai dormind unul langa celalalt. Ma intind alaturi de ei si trag la aghioase. Apoi, nimic nu ma poate trezi, si daca vor sa ma vada acasa trebuie sa ma care in spate.'
Al optulea servitor a remarcat: Vad bine ca eu sunt cel mai fasnet dintre voi. Daca dau peste o piatra pe drum, nu ma deranjez sa imi ridic picioarele pentru a trece peste ea. Ma intind pe pamant si, daca ma ud sau ma acopar cu noroi si mizerie, continui sa sta culcat pana cand soarele ma usuca. Cel mult , ma mai intorc pe o parte, astfel incat razele soarelui sa ma ajunga peste tot.
Cel de-al noualea servitor a spus: Mare dreptate ai! Astazi, painea era chiar in fata mea, dar mi-a fost prea lene sa ma intind dupa ea, asa ca am fost cat pe ce sa mor de foame! Mai mult decat atat, inaintea mea era o cana cu papa, insa era atat de mare si grea incat nu m-am obosit sa o ridic, preferand, mai curand , sa ma las stapanit de sete. Chiar sa ma intorc pe o parte a fost prea mult pentru mine, si am lenevit toata ziua ca un caine.
Al zecelea servitor a tinut sa zica: Lenea mi-a adus o multime de necazuri, un picior rupt si o pulpa umflata. Stateam intins cu alti doi tovarasi chiar in drum si imi intinsesem bine picioarele. Cineva a venit pe acolo cu o caruta si rotile ei au trecut peste mine. Putem sa-mi trag picioarele indarat, dar nu am auzit cand sosea caruta, pentru ca mustele imi bazaiau in urechi, imi intrau prin nas si imi ieseau apoi pe gura. Cine se oboseste sa alunge deoparte ganganiile astea?
Cel de-al unsprezecelea servitor a declarat: Ieri mi-am lasat balta slujba. Nu mai aveam chef sa car cartile grele ale stapanului meu sau sa le duc de colo colo. Chestia asta tinea cat era ziua de lunga. Ca sa va spun adevarul, el m-a dat de fapt afara intrucat hainele lui, pe care le lasam mereu sa zaca pe podea, erau mancate cu totul de molii, un lucru care ma bucura din cale-afara.
Al doisprezecelea servitor a adaugat: Astazi a trebuit sa merg cu caruta la tara, asa ca mi-am facut in ea un culcus de paie si am tras un somn bun. Fraiele mi-au scapat din maini si, atunci cand m-am trezit, calul aproape ca scapase din ele, si se pierdusera atat zabala, capastrul, cat si oistea. Cineva care trecuse pe langa mine mi le luase pe toate. In plus, caruta se impotmolise bine intr-o balta maloasa. Am lasat-o acolo si m-am culcat iarasi in paie. Pana la urma si-a facut aparitia stapanul, a pus umarul si a tras caruta afara din mal. Daca nu venea, as fi fost si acum acolo, sfaraind fara vreo grija.
Twelve servants who had done nothing all the day would not exert themselves at night either, but laid themselves on the grass and boasted of their idleness. The first said, "What is your laziness to me, I have to concern myself about mine own? The care of my body is my principal work, I eat not a little and drink still more. When I have had four meals, I fast a short time until I feel hunger again, and that suits me best. To rise betimes is not for me; when it is getting near mid-day, I already seek out a resting-place for myself. If the master call, I do exactly as if I had not heard him, and if he call for the second time, I wait awhile before I get up, and go to him very slowly. In this way life is endurable."
The second said, "I have a horse to look after, but I leave the bit in his mouth, and if I do not want to do it, I give him no food, and I say he has had it already. I, however, lay myself in the oat-chest and sleep for four hours. After this I stretch out one foot and move it a couple of times over the horse's body, and then he is combed and cleaned. Who is going to make a great business of that? Nevertheless service is too toilsome for me."
The third said, "Why plague oneself with work? Nothing comes of it! I laid myself in the sun, and fell asleep. It began to rain a little, but why should I get up? I let it rain on in God's name. At last came a splashing shower, so heavy indeed, that it pulled the hair out of my head and washed it away, and I got a hole in the skull; I put a plaster on it, and then it was all right. I have already had several injuries of that kind."
The fourth said, "If I am to undertake a piece of work, I first loiter about for an hour that I may save up my strength. After that I begin quite slowly, and ask if no one is there who could help me. Then I let him do the chief of the work, and in reality only look on; but that also is still too much for me."
The fifth said, "What does that matter? Just think, I am to take away the manure from the horse's stable, and load the cart with it. I let it go on slowly, and if I have taken anything on the fork, I only half-raise it up, and then I rest just a quarter of an hour until I quite throw it in. It is enough and to spare if I take out a cartful in the day. I have no fancy for killing myself with work."
The sixth said, "Shame on ye; I am afraid of no work, but I lie down for three weeks, and never once take my clothes off. What is the use of buckling your shoes on? For aught I care they may fall off my feet, it is no matter. If I am going up some steps, I drag one foot slowly after the other on to the first step, and then I count the rest of them that I may know where I must rest.
The seventh said, "That will not do with me; my master looks after my work, only he is not at home the whole day. But I neglect nothing, I run as fast as it is possible to do when one crawls. If I am to get on, four sturdy men must push me with all their might. I came where six men were lying sleeping on a bed beside each other. I lay down by them and slept too. There was no wakening me again, and when they wanted to have me home, they had to carry me." The eighth said, "I see plainly that I am the only active fellow; if a stone lie before me, I do not give myself the trouble to raise my legs and step over it. I lay myself down on the ground, and if I am wet and covered with mud and dirt, I stay lying until the sun has dried me again. At the very most, I only turn myself so that it can shine on me." The ninth said, "That is the right way! To-day the bread was before me, but I was too idle to take it, and nearly died of hunger! Moreover a jug stood by it, but it was so big and heavy that I did not like to lift it up, and preferred bearing thirst. Just to turn myself round was too much for me, I remained lying like a log the whole day." The tenth said, "Laziness has brought misfortune on me, a broken leg and swollen calf. Three of us were lying in the road, and I had my legs stretched out. Some one came with a cart, and the wheels went over me. I might indeed have drawn my legs back, but I did not hear the cart coming, for the midges were humming about my ears, and creeping in at my nose and out again at my mouth; who can take the trouble to drive the vermin away?"
The eleventh said, "I gave up my place yesterday. I had no fancy for carrying the heavy books to my master any longer or fetching them away again. There was no end of it all day long. But to tell the truth, he gave me my dismissal, and would not keep me any longer, for his clothes, which I had left lying in the dust, were all moth-eaten, and I am very glad of it."
The twelfth said, "To-day I had to drive the cart into the country, and made myself a bed of straw on it, and had a good sleep. The reins slipped out of my hand, and when I awoke, the horse had nearly torn itself loose, the harness was gone, the strap which fastened the horse to the shafts was gone, and so were the collar, the bridle and bit. Some one had come by, who had carried all off. Besides this, the cart had got into a quagmire and stuck fast. I left it standing, and stretched myself on the straw again. At last the master came himself, and pushed the cart out, and if he had not come I should not be lying here but there, and sleeping in full tranquillity."