Once upon a time a man lived who was never known to work. When the
neighbors grew weary supplying him with food, he sought the forest, and
lay down under a fig-tree so the ripe fruit might drop into his mouth.
Often, when the food fell out of his reach, he would suffer hunger,
rather than make an effort.
It fell upon a day that a stranger passed that way, and the lazy man
asked him to please gather some fruit and put it into his mouth, as he
hungered. The wily stranger gathered a handful of earth and put it into
his mouth, as he lay there with his eyes even closed. Tasting the earth,
the lazy man was angry, and he threw figs after the retreating impostor,
who ran away mocking him.
Days after, a ripe fig fell into a stream near by and, floating down the
stream, was seen and eaten by the daughter of a chow. Delicious to the
taste, she grew dissatisfied with all other fruit and vowed that, from
henceforth, she would eat of no other fruit, and that the man who had
thrown the one beautiful fig should be her husband.
Angered by such a caprice, her father urged her to be guided by his
judgment. Unable to restrain her, and, hoping to turn her desire
elsewhere, the chow made an elaborate feast and bade all the people of
the province to it. But, among all was not the one who had thrown the
fig into the stream.
"Is there not yet a man who has not come to the feast?" asked the chow.
"None save the lazy beggar who lies at the fig-tree," they said.
"Bring him hither," commanded the chow, determined to have his daughter
see what manner of man she was selecting as her husband.
Too lazy to walk, the lazy man was carried into the presence of the chow
and his guests.
Ashamed that his daughter sought such as her husband, and would have no
other, as it was supposed that the lazy man alone had thrown the fig
into the stream, and he was too lazy to deny it, the chow had a boat
built for their use and commanded that they be floated down the stream
to the sea. This he did, hoping his obstinate daughter and her lazy
husband might be lost to the world forever.
All day long the boat drifted; all day long spake the princess not one
word to her husband, nor would she have aught to eat. Fearing she would
not live, if she did not eat, the beggar made a fire to cook some rice
for her. Lazy as ever, he put but two stones under the kettle, and it
tottered.
"I cannot endure your lazy ways. Put three stones under the kettle,"
cried his wife.
The husband did so, glad she had spoken to him.
And when the boat had drifted many days, it came to a place where once
there had been a large rice field and there it remained.
While the princess stayed in the boat, the once indolent beggar labored
day after day in the rice fields that they might live; moreover, he had
learned to love his princess wife.
When the god, who looks to men's deeds, from his home in the sky saw the
man no longer loved his ease more than all else, but would toil for his
wife, he said within himself, "the man deserves reward." So he called to
him six wild monkeys from his woods, and gave into their care six magic
gongs, telling them to go beat them in the rice fields where the husband
toiled.
The husband heard the monkeys and the clanging of the gongs, but, at
last, unable to endure the noise, finally caught the monkeys and secured
the gongs. He then threatened to kill the monkeys, but they plead that
they were sent, by the god who looks to men's deeds, with the gongs as a
reward for his merit. "Having seen your efforts to provide for your
wife, who loves not you, he sends you these gongs. If you strike this
one, you will grow beautiful; that one, you will have wisdom. Another
gives you lands and servants, and, another, if struck while holding it
in your hands, will cause people to do you reverence as though you were
a god," they told the man.
Having permitted the monkeys to go, he beat the gong of beauty, and his
body grew straight and tall, also his face became most pleasant to look
upon. Beating the gong of power, and taking the others with him, he
sought his wife. She did not recognize him, and would have done him
reverence, but he said, "Do me no reverence. I am thy husband," and he
told her of the god's reward. When she heard of the magic gongs, she
entreated him to return to her father that he might forgive her for not
having heeded his counsel.
Through the magic gongs, had they wealth, power and all benefits the
gods could bestow, and the father loved them, and indeed gave his
son-in-law power above all the princes in his province. And the once
lazy man thought within himself: "In former times the people derided me
as a lazy man, because I would not work, now that I am possessed of
wealth, they do me reverence; yet behold I am as lazy as ever, for I
open my mouth and food is ready for my use. Thus it is, that when a poor
man does not work, he is called a lazy beggar, but when a prince, or
rich man, does not work, he has power, and people do him reverence."
[Illustration: A Laos Feast.]
[Illustration: Street in a Laos Town.]