The Freeloader

Once upon a time, there lived a lazy and rather foolish man. He had no wealth and no desire to work, even though he was strong and healthy. He would beg for drink from one person, food from another, and old clothes from yet another. In this way, he scraped by, forgetting both shame and conscience. His neighbors were kind and did not refuse to help him, though they didn’t like his habit of begging. Whenever they saw him, they would laugh and say:

“Ah, here comes the freeloader! I wonder what he’ll beg for this time?”

But the freeloader paid no attention to their mockery and kept on begging. Eventually, he grew tiresome to everyone, and they no longer wanted to help him or even speak to him. Life became hard for the freeloader, yet he still refused to work. Instead, he tried to steal whatever he could. This made everyone despise him, and they turned away from him completely.

The elders scolded him, and the children, upon seeing him, would scream and shout. Angered, the freeloader muttered to himself:

“Cruel people! They have no pity for a poor man. I’ll go and ask the Almighty to help me!”

So he went and found a secluded spot. He stretched his hands toward the sky and began to pray:

“God of peace! Give me something to live on, for I am poor and destitute.”

He waited and waited, but nothing happened. He repeated his plea a second and third time.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha!” Suddenly, laughter rang out nearby. “Open your mouth wider!”

He turned around and saw that children from the whole village had gathered, mocking and laughing at him. The freeloader felt ashamed:

“There’s no hiding from these mockers! I’ll go higher into the mountains—closer to God and farther from people.”

And so he set off. He walked and walked until he encountered a wolf.

“Where are you going, human?” asked the wolf.

“To God,” replied the freeloader.

“If that’s the case, ask Him why it is that I eat all kinds of meat but never grow fat. What should I eat to gain weight? I’ll wait here until you return.”

“Very well,” answered the freeloader and continued on his way. He walked and walked until he came across an oak tree.

“Hey, human, where are you going?” asked the oak.

“To God.”

“If that’s so, ask Him why one side of me is withering.”

“Very well,” replied the freeloader and went on. He walked and walked until he reached a river.

“Hey, human, where are you headed?” called a fish from the water.

“To God.”

“If that’s the case, ask Him why my left eye is going blind.”

“Very well,” said the freeloader and continued his journey. He walked and walked until he reached the mountain. He climbed to the very top and saw a deer.

“Hey, human, why have you climbed up here?”

“I have a small matter to discuss with God, so I climbed up here.”

The deer, being a kind creature, said to the freeloader:

“This is the mountaintop, but if you want to go even higher, climb up my branching antlers.”

The freeloader was delighted. He jumped onto the deer’s back and began climbing the antlers when he suddenly heard:

“Hey, dweller of the earth, where are you climbing?”

“To You, Almighty!”

“Speak, what do you need?”

“I have nothing to live on. I beg You, give me something to live by!”

“Return the way you came. Your happiness awaits you on the journey.”

The freeloader told God about the requests of the wolf, the oak, and the fish. He learned everything, thanked God, bid farewell to the deer, and headed back.

As he walked, the freeloader was so overjoyed he could hardly feel his feet beneath him. He wasn’t walking—he was flying, eager to meet his happiness on the way. He reached the river.

“Well, did you find out?” asked the fish.

“There’s a diamond stuck in your left fin. Remove it, and your eye will be healed,” said the freeloader.

“Since you’ve done me a kindness, help me—take out the diamond,” said the fish.

The freeloader removed the diamond, and the fish’s eye was healed. In gratitude, the fish gave the diamond to the freeloader, but he contemptuously threw it into the water.

“What do I need it for? My happiness is waiting for me on the way!” he exclaimed and walked off.

“What a fool!” said the fish and dove back into the water. The freeloader walked and walked until he reached the oak.

“Did you find out?” asked the oak.

“Of course: on the side that’s withering, there’s a buried treasure. Dig it up, and you’ll turn green again.”

The oak asked for help. The freeloader began digging and unearthed a large pot filled with gold and silver. The oak turned green again and, in gratitude, gave the freeloader everything in the pot.

“Why should I carry such a heavy load when my happiness is waiting for me on the way?” he said, kicked the pot, and sent it tumbling down the slope.

“What a fool,” rustled the oak. “If he didn’t want the wealth, he could have left it for someone else. This won’t end well!”

The freeloader finally reached the wolf.

“What good news do you bring me?” asked the wolf.

“Eat human flesh—you’ll grow fat,” replied the freeloader.

“Well, here’s a human!” said the wolf and pounced on the freeloader.

The next day, shepherds found scraps of clothing in the forest and brought them to the village. They recognized the clothes, and though no one had liked the freeloader, his tragic end saddened everyone. A wise old man, offering a lesson to the young, said:

“Life is a test; laziness is a disgrace. The life and death of a lazy man are pitiful and laughable.”

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The Freeloader

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