The Three Sluggards

In a kingdom where hard work was prized above all other virtues, there lived a king who faced an unusual problem. He had three sons who were so extraordinarily lazy that they made slugs look industrious by comparison. This created quite a dilemma when it came time to choose which son would inherit the throne.

The Lazy Princes

Prince Edmund, the eldest, was so lazy that he would rather lie in bed all day than get up to eat. When hunger finally forced him to move, he would call for servants to bring food directly to his mouth so he wouldn’t have to lift his own hands.

Prince Frederick, the middle son, was equally lazy but in different ways. He would sit in the same chair for days at a time, only moving when absolutely necessary. He once spent an entire week in the garden because it was too much effort to walk back inside.

Prince Leopold, the youngest, took laziness to an art form. He was so lazy that he would close only one eye when sleeping because opening and closing both eyes was too much work.

The King’s Dilemma

King Otto looked at his three sons with a mixture of love and despair. “How can I choose which of these boys will rule the kingdom?” he wondered aloud to his advisors. “None of them shows any inclination toward the hard work that ruling requires.”

The royal advisors were equally puzzled. Traditional tests of courage, wisdom, or strength seemed pointless when the princes could barely be motivated to get out of bed.

After much thought, the king came up with an unusual solution. “Since my sons have made laziness their specialty,” he announced, “I will give the throne to whichever one can prove he is the laziest of all.”

The Contest

The three princes were summoned to the throne room, though it took several hours and multiple servants to get them all there. When the king explained his contest, the princes showed the first spark of interest they had displayed in years.

“Finally,” yawned Prince Edmund, “a competition I can win.”

“This will be easier than breathing,” mumbled Prince Frederick, who was leaning against a pillar because standing upright was too tiring.

“I’m so lazy, I’m already bored by this contest,” declared Prince Leopold.

The First Brother’s Claim

King Otto decided to hear each son’s argument for why he deserved to be considered the laziest. Prince Edmund, as the eldest, went first.

“Father,” Edmund said, speaking as slowly as possible to conserve energy, “I am clearly the laziest because last week, when it started raining while I was lying in the garden, I didn’t move. I just lay there and let myself get soaked because getting up and going inside would have been too much effort.”

The king and the court were impressed by this display of laziness. “That is indeed remarkably lazy,” the king admitted.

But Prince Frederick interrupted with a snort. “That’s nothing, brother. Tell them about last month when you were so lazy you hired someone to chew your food for you.”

The Second Brother’s Claim

Prince Frederick shuffled forward slightly, which for him was a major expenditure of energy. “Father, I am obviously the laziest because I once spent three days lying in the exact same position because turning over required too much movement.”

He paused for a long moment, breathing heavily from the effort of speaking. “Furthermore, I am so lazy that when a fly landed on my nose last summer, I left it there for six hours because brushing it away would have been too troublesome.”

The court murmured in amazement at this extraordinary level of laziness. King Otto nodded thoughtfully. “That is indeed impressive laziness, my son.”

The Third Brother’s Tale

Prince Leopold, the youngest, had been lying on the floor throughout his brothers’ presentations. When it was his turn to speak, he didn’t even bother to sit up.

“Brothers,” he said in a voice so quiet everyone had to strain to hear, “your laziness is admirable, but mine surpasses yours completely.”

He paused for such a long time that everyone thought he had fallen asleep, but eventually he continued. “Two days ago, I was lying in bed when I noticed that my blanket was on fire.”

The court gasped, but Leopold continued calmly. “The fire was moving slowly toward my feet, and I calculated that I had several minutes before it would actually burn me. So I lay there watching it, trying to decide whether putting out the fire was worth the effort of moving.”

The Shocking Conclusion

“And what did you do?” King Otto asked, fascinated despite himself.

Prince Leopold sighed deeply. “Well, I was just getting ready to maybe consider possibly thinking about moving when the fire burned through the rope that was holding up a heavy water bucket directly above my bed.”

He paused again, as if the effort of telling the story was exhausting him. “The bucket fell and spilled water all over the blanket, putting out the fire. So I didn’t have to move after all. I just went back to sleep.”

The entire court stared at Prince Leopold in stunned silence. Even his brothers looked impressed by this extraordinary display of laziness.

The Unexpected Wisdom

King Otto studied his youngest son carefully. “Leopold,” he said slowly, “you were willing to risk being burned alive rather than expend the energy to put out a fire?”

“That’s correct, Father,” Leopold replied. “Moving seemed like more trouble than it was worth.”

But then the king’s expression changed, and he began to smile. “Tell me, son, how did you know about the water bucket above your bed?”

Leopold looked slightly uncomfortable. “Well… I might have noticed it yesterday when I was analyzing the most efficient sleeping position.”

“And how did you calculate that you had several minutes before the fire would reach you?” the king pressed.

“I… may have done some mathematical calculations about the burn rate of different fabrics,” Leopold admitted reluctantly.

The Truth Revealed

King Otto’s smile grew wider. “So let me understand this correctly. You observed your environment carefully, performed complex mathematical calculations, analyzed risks and benefits, and predicted the outcome of multiple variables - all while appearing to do absolutely nothing?”

Prince Leopold shifted uncomfortably, realizing he had been caught. “When you put it that way, it sounds like I was actually thinking quite hard…”

The king laughed heartily. “My dear Leopold, what you call laziness, I call efficiency! You have found ways to achieve maximum results with minimum effort. That, my son, is not laziness - it’s intelligence!”

The Wisdom of Efficiency

King Otto stood up and addressed the court. “I have learned something important today. True laziness is simply lying around doing nothing. But what Leopold has shown us is the ability to think carefully about problems and find the most efficient solutions.”

He turned to his youngest son. “Leopold, your ’laziness’ has actually taught you to observe carefully, think strategically, and find innovative solutions to problems. These are exactly the skills a good king needs.”

The New Perspective

The king continued his explanation. “A king who rushes into action without thinking creates chaos. A king who carefully considers all options and finds the most efficient path forward serves his people well.”

Prince Leopold sat up slowly, looking more alert than he had in years. “Are you saying that my laziness is actually… useful?”

“I’m saying that your careful thinking disguised as laziness shows you have the mind of a strategist,” King Otto replied. “You just need to apply that intelligence more actively.”

The Transformation

From that day forward, Prince Leopold began to see his natural inclination toward efficiency in a new light. Instead of avoiding all work, he focused on finding the smartest ways to accomplish necessary tasks.

He invented labor-saving devices for the castle, streamlined the kingdom’s bureaucracy, and found ways to solve complex problems with surprisingly simple solutions.

Prince Edmund and Prince Frederick, inspired by their brother’s success, also began to look for ways to channel their natural tendencies more productively.

The Inheritance

When King Otto finally retired, he passed the crown to Leopold, who had proven that what seemed like laziness could actually be wisdom in disguise. Leopold became known as the Efficient King, ruling with minimal effort but maximum effectiveness.

His brothers served as his advisors, each finding ways to contribute to the kingdom using their own unique perspectives on the value of avoiding unnecessary work.

The Moral of the Story

The tale of the three sluggards became a popular story that taught important lessons about the difference between laziness and efficiency. It showed that sometimes what appears to be a weakness can actually be a strength when properly understood and directed.

The story also demonstrated that good leadership often comes from careful thinking rather than frantic activity, and that finding efficient solutions to problems is a valuable skill that should be cultivated rather than condemned.

And so the three sluggards learned that while pure laziness leads nowhere, the intelligent pursuit of efficiency can lead to great success and even wisdom.