ONCE on a time there was a poor, poor widow who had an only son. She
dragged on with the boy till he had been confirmed, and then she said
she couldn’t feed him any longer, he must just go out and earn his own
bread. So the lad wandered out into the world, and when he had walked a
day or so, a strange man met him.
“Whither away?” asked the man.
“Oh, I’m going out into the world to try and get a place,” said the lad.
“Will you come and serve me?” said the man.
“Oh yes; just as soon you as any one else,” said the lad.
“Well, you’ll have a good place with me,” said the man; “for you’ll only
have to keep me company, and do nothing at all else beside.”
So the lad stopped with him, and lived on the fat of the land, both in
meat and drink, and had little or nothing to do; but he never saw a
living soul in that man’s house.