"That waiting," he went on, "puts me in mind of the farmer and his corn
in the fable--get out, cats!--he waited till he found that the proper
thing to do was to get his sons to work and cut the corn themselves."
"Yes, sir," I said smiling; "and then the lark thought it was time to
take her young ones away."
"Good, lad; right!" he cried. "That fable contains the finest lesson a
boy can learn. Don't you wait for others to help you: help yourself."
"I'll try, sir."
"That's right. Ah! I wish I had always been as wise as that lark."
"Then you would not wait if you were me, sir?" I said, looking up at
him wonderingly.
"Not a week, my lad, if you can get anything to do. Fact is, I've been
looking into it, and your relations are all waiting for each other to
take you in hand. There isn't one of them wants the job."