He who waits for cherries to fall into his mouth will not achieve anything good

Once upon a time, there lived a lazy man, so lazy that he even grew mold on himself. He waited for cherries to fall into his mouth on their own, and then for someone to chew them for him. And when laziness overcomes a person, poverty sits on their neck. When he reached rock bottom, what did the lazy man decide? "I’ll go," he thought, "to the Good Sorceress and ask her to give me a different fate—one where I don’t have to work anymore, where every day is a holiday except for one working day, and even that day should be a wedding."

He took a bag on a stick and set off to seek his fortune. He walked and walked, and as he passed through the forest, he met a wolf—thin and bald, looking worse than ever.

"Where are you headed, good man?" asked the wolf.

"I’m going to the Good Sorceress to ask for a better fate, so I can live happily in this world."

"If you’re going to the Good Sorceress," pleaded the wolf, "ask her how I can grow hair, for I’ve never had any."

"Alright, wolf, I’ll ask!"

The lazy man continued on his way and saw a grapevine with withered yellow leaves.

"Where are you going, good man?" asked the grapevine in a human voice.

"To the Good Sorceress."

"Why?"

"To ask for a different, happier fate, so I don’t have to work anymore and can live like a nobleman, without a care for tomorrow."

"If you’re going to the Good Sorceress, ask her how I can grow new leaves."

"I’ll ask, why not?" said the lazy man and went on. He came to a river, and out of the water emerged a huge fish with an enormous goiter. The fish signaled to the traveler.

"Come closer, good man." The lazy man approached.

"Where are you headed?"

"To the Good Sorceress."

"Why?"

"For my happiness, to find out how I should live from now on."

"If you’re going to the Good Sorceress, ask her what I should do about my goiter, for it grows bigger every day."

"Alright, I’ll ask."

The lazy man walked on and saw a spring in a forest clearing, and by the spring stood a beautiful girl in a white dress, with a wreath of flowers on her head.

"Who are you, good man?"

"I’m a poor wanderer."

"Where are you going?"

"To the Good Sorceress."

"How long have you been walking before you met me?"

"A long time."

"And whom have you met on your way?"

"I met a bald wolf, that’s who!"

"And what did the wolf say to you?"

"When he found out where I was going, he asked me to find out how he could grow hair."

"Tell him to eat the heart of a lazy and idle man, and then his hair will grow. And whom else did you meet?"

"A grapevine with withered leaves. He asked me to find out how he could grow new leaves and stop withering."

"Tell him that long ago, a jug of gold was buried at his roots. If someone digs it up and removes it from his roots, new leaves will grow, and the vine will be covered with clusters. And whom else did you meet?"

"A big fish with a swollen goiter. She asked me to find out how to get rid of her ailment."

"Her goiter is filled with precious stones. If someone cuts it open and removes the stones, she’ll feel better."

"I’ll tell her."

"Now, go back the way you came."

"Go back? But I came here for my happiness."

"Go back the same way you came, and your happiness will meet you on the way. If you have a head on your shoulders, you’ll live happily. If not, blame yourself."

The lazy man turned back. He walked and walked and came to the fish. The fish asked him:

"Well, what did the Sorceress say?"

"She said your goiter is filled with precious stones, and if someone cuts it open and removes them, you’ll be free of your trouble."

The fish begged him:

"Kind man, do me a favor, cut open my goiter, take out the precious stones, and keep them as a reward."

"No," replied the lazy man, "I’ll go on, my happiness awaits me on the way, and I’ll have plenty without you."

As the saying goes: laziness is stronger than poverty.

He walked on. He walked and walked, and soon the grapevine waved its branch to stop him.

"Well, good man, have you been to the Sorceress?"

"Yes!"

"And what did she say?"

"She said that a jug of gold is buried at your roots, and it’s preventing your roots from growing, which is why you’re withering."

"If that’s the case, be so kind as to dig up the jug of gold and take it for yourself. You’ll be doing me a favor, and you won’t be at a loss."

"No," replied the lazy man, "why should I dig and tire myself? I’ll go on, my happiness awaits me on the way, and I’ll have plenty without you."

He walked on. And soon he met the wolf again.

"Well, did you see the Sorceress?"

"Yes."

"And what did she say? How can I grow hair?"

"She said you must eat the heart of a lazy and idle man."

"And what else did you see? Where did you go?"

"I saw many things. I saw a withered grapevine. A jug of gold is buried at its roots, preventing it from growing. It asked me to dig up the gold and take it, but I don’t need it. My happiness awaits me on the way, and I’ll have plenty."

"And whom else did you see?"

"I saw a huge fish with a swollen goiter full of precious stones. The fish asked me to cut open its goiter, remove the stones, and free it from its trouble. But I was in a hurry and went on."

The wolf thought and thought. He decided that laziness had robbed the man of his wits.

"There’s no one lazier or more foolish than you," said the wolf. "You didn’t bother to dig up the jug of gold, you didn’t cut open the fish’s goiter to get the jewels. You could have lived in wealth for the rest of your days, free of worries."

The wolf pounced on the lazy man and devoured him completely.

Since then, people say: those who wait for cherries to fall into their mouths will come to no good.

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He who waits for cherries to fall into his mouth will not achieve anything good

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