In a quiet village lived an elderly tailor named Samuel and his kind wife, Martha. As the years passed, Samuel's eyesight and strength had faded, making it difficult for them to earn enough to meet their daily needs.
One evening, Samuel was working on the very last piece of leather he had in his shop. "This is all we have left, Martha," he sighed. Martha looked at him worriedly, "Please finish it tonight, Samuel. We need to know what tomorrow brings."
Exhausted, Samuel laid the leather on his workbench and fell fast asleep. When he woke up the next morning, he gasped in disbelief. The plain leather had been transformed into a magnificent, perfectly stitched waistcoat! It was so beautiful that a passing merchant bought it instantly for a high price.
Encouraged by this sudden luck, Samuel bought more leather and left it on the table each night. Every morning, he would find exquisite garments ready for sale. Soon, his shop became famous, and he and Martha no longer worried about food.
However, a dangerous thought entered Samuel's mind. "Why should we toil anymore?" he whispered to Martha. "If we simply leave food out for these mysterious helpers, they will do all the work for us."
To test this, they hid behind a large cupboard one night. Through a small crack in the wall, they saw two tiny, magical creatures enter the room. The little beings worked with incredible speed and precision, sewing the leather into beautiful clothes. Samuel and Martha were overjoyed. For a few days, they prepared delicious meals and soft cloths for the visitors.
But one morning, something was wrong. The food was untouched, and the leather remained just leather. The tiny helpers had not returned. "Samuel," Martha said sadly, "the moment you decided to stop working and rely only on luck, the magic vanished. They were helping us because we were still craftsmen, not because we were idle."
Samuel realized his mistake. He understood that laziness had chased away the blessing. He picked up his needle and began to sew with renewed passion. Seeing his dedication, the tiny helpers returned, working alongside him to make their lives wonderful again.
Moral
Hard work brings luck, but laziness drives it away.
