Page:Fairy Tales for Worker's Children.djvu/67

 people are wise? Well, we will see if you are right. Who is it that you like best in the poorhouse?"

"Oh no, she's as poor as a beggar, she patches her clothes over and over, and eats what other people leave."

"H-m-m. Well, why then does she work so hard if she gets nothing out of it?"

Little Paul thought a while, finally he said, "I don't know."

"But I know—it is because she is stupid. Mary knows, too, that there are fashionable ladies who don't move a hand, who wear gorgeous clothes, eat costly food, live in luxury. Hasn't Mary ever asked herself: How is it that I, who work all day long have nothing, and they, who do nothing have everything?"

"I believe not."

"Well then, your Mary is stupid, very stupid. Whom do you still consider wise, you little sheep?"

"Old Jacob."

"Who is this Old Jacob?"

"He is an old laborer, he is eighty years old. He worked until his seventieth year. Now he can't do anything more, and has his hands and feet and legs crippled by rheumatism."

"He worked sixty years for others! A pretty long time. I suppose that Old Jacob is treated like a prince, everybody is terribly anxious to serve him? He has a wonderful soft bed for his tired 61