The Twelve Idle Servants

Once upon a time, there lived a wealthy master who employed twelve servants to manage his grand household. However, these were no ordinary servants – they were the laziest individuals ever to walk the earth, each one more idle than the last.

The first servant was so lazy that when he was sent to fetch hay, he would lie down in the field and declare, “The hay is too far away. I’ll wait for it to come to me.” When his master asked why he returned empty-handed, he would say, “Master, the hay was too wet from the morning dew. I didn’t want to get my clothes dirty.”

The second servant was assigned to tend the fire, but he was so idle that he would let it burn down to ashes rather than add wood. “Master,” he would explain, “I was watching the fire very carefully to make sure it didn’t grow too large and burn down the house. It’s safer this way.”

The third servant was supposed to fetch water from the well. Instead, he would sit by the well’s edge and say to himself, “If I lean over too far, I might fall in. It’s better to be safe and return with an empty bucket than to risk drowning.” And so he would return, claiming the well was too dangerous to approach.

The fourth servant was tasked with sweeping the floors. He would take his broom and lean on it like a walking stick, declaring, “The dust is not ready to be swept today. I can tell by the way it sits on the floor. Tomorrow it will be more cooperative.”

The fifth servant was responsible for washing the dishes. He would fill a basin with water and then sit down to rest. “Master,” he would say, “I’m letting the dishes soak so they’ll be easier to clean. The longer they soak, the cleaner they’ll become without any effort from me.”

The sixth servant was supposed to feed the chickens. Instead, he would scatter a handful of grain and immediately lie down in the shade. “The chickens know where their food is,” he reasoned. “If they’re truly hungry, they’ll find it themselves. I’m just supervising from here.”

The seventh servant was assigned to milk the cows. He would sit on his milking stool and doze off, claiming, “I’m waiting for the cows to come to me. A good servant doesn’t chase after his work – he lets the work come to him.”

The eighth servant was supposed to chop wood for the kitchen. He would pick up his axe, swing it once halfheartedly, and then declare, “This tree is too hard today. I’ll wait for it to soften up in the weather before trying again.”

The ninth servant was responsible for tending the garden. He would stand at the garden gate and announce, “The vegetables are growing perfectly well without my interference. Too much attention might spoil them.”

The tenth servant was assigned to shoe the horses. He would approach a horse with his tools, then sit down nearby. “Master,” he would explain, “this horse’s hooves are too tender today. I’m waiting for them to toughen up before I dare touch them with iron.”

The eleventh servant was supposed to repair the roof when it leaked. During rainstorms, he would sit inside, watching the water drip through the holes. “It’s too dangerous to climb on a wet roof,” he would say. “When it stops raining, the roof won’t be leaking anymore, so there’ll be no need to fix it.”

The twelfth and laziest servant of all was assigned to wake the others each morning. Instead, he would lie in bed and call out weakly, “I would get up to wake everyone, but I’m afraid if I move too quickly, I might disturb their peaceful sleep. It’s more considerate to let them wake naturally.”

One day, the master had heard enough of their excuses. He gathered all twelve servants in the main hall and announced, “I am hosting a great feast tonight, and I need all the work done properly. Whoever can prove they are the most diligent worker will receive a bag of gold. But the one who proves to be the laziest will be dismissed immediately.”

The servants looked at each other with alarm. For the first time in their lives, they were being asked to work rather than avoid work.

The first servant immediately lay down on the floor. “Master, I am so dedicated to being the best servant that I dare not move from this spot until I have thought of the perfect way to serve you.”

The second servant sat down beside him. “I’m conserving my energy so that when I finally do work, it will be of the highest quality.”

One by one, all twelve servants found reasons to remain perfectly still, each claiming their inaction was actually the most thoughtful form of service.

The master watched this display and began to laugh. He realized that trying to make these servants work was like trying to make stones sing or fish climb trees. Instead of being angry, he was amused by their creative dedication to idleness.

“Very well,” he said with a chuckle. “Since you are all so committed to your laziness, I will give you a task that suits your nature perfectly. From now on, your job is to do absolutely nothing at all. You must sit in the garden all day and simply exist. The one who moves the least will receive the bag of gold.”

The twelve servants were delighted with this arrangement. They spent their days sitting motionless in the garden, competing to see who could be the most perfectly idle. And though they never accomplished any real work, they became quite famous throughout the land as the most dedicated lazy people anyone had ever seen.

The master, meanwhile, hired twelve new servants who actually enjoyed working, and his household ran more smoothly than ever before. As for the twelve idle servants, they lived contentedly ever after, having finally found a job that perfectly matched their talents.

And so the tale reminds us that while hard work has its rewards, sometimes the greatest wisdom lies in accepting people as they are and finding ways to make even their flaws useful to the world.