The three idlers

 The three idlers

Author: Brothers Grimm

Ages: From 4 years

Values: sloth

The three idlers

Once upon a time a king had three sons. The king loved all his children equally, so he did not know which of them to leave as heir and bequeath the throne when his time came.

Already old and sick, the king realized that the time of his departure was approaching, so he called his three sons to his bedside and said to them:

—My very dear children: I have thought of something and I am going to tell you. The one of the three who is the laziest will inherit the throne.

Then the elder said:

—Father, in that case, the kingdom belongs to me, because I am so lazy that, when I go to bed, I do not decide to close my eyes to sleep, even if a drop falls on them.

Then the second of the king's sons spoke and said:

"Father, the kingdom is mine, for my laziness is such that when I sit by the fire to warm myself, I sooner burn my heels than withdraw my legs."

And he then said the third:

Father, I say that the throne is for me, because my laziness is such that if they were to hang me and, already having the knot around my neck, someone put a sharp knife in my hand to cut the rope, before I would let them hang me than raise my hand to the rope.

Hearing this, the father said:

“You are the one who has taken the thing further. Therefore, you will be the King.