Lazy Lawrence

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Lawrence who was the laziest boy in all of England. He did not like to get up in the morning, and he did not like to get up in the afternoon either. But Lawrence had a very strange gift. Wherever he went, everyone near him became just as lazy as he was!

When Lawrence was little, his mother sent him to school. The teacher stood up to begin the lesson, and Lawrence gave a big yawn. At once, the teacher yawned too, and so did every child in the class. Their eyes grew heavy, their heads drooped onto their desks, and soon the whole school was snoring. Not one single lesson was learned that day.

Next, Lawrence went to work in the kitchen of a big house. The cook was making a grand dinner for a wedding, with pies and puddings and a big roast in the oven. But as soon as Lawrence came into the kitchen, the cook sat down on a stool. “I’ll stir the soup in just a minute,” she said, and she did not move again. The pies burned, the puddings spilled, and the wedding guests had nothing but bread for dinner.

Then Lawrence went to help a farmer bring in the hay. The farmer and his men were busy in the field, and dark clouds were coming over the hill. “Quick, quick, we must get the hay in before the rain!” said the farmer. Then Lawrence lay down in the soft hay with a happy sigh. At once, the farmer and all his men lay down beside him. The rain came pouring down, and it rained all day long, but nobody could get up at all.

At last, the teacher, the cook, and the farmer were all very cross. “That boy makes everybody lazy,” they said. “Something must be done!” So they took Lawrence to see the judge in the town of Never-Work. The judge listened to all their complaints, and Lawrence stood there quietly and yawned. Then the judge yawned too, and so did everyone else in the room.

Nobody quite remembers what the judge decided, because everyone was too sleepy to listen. But people in England still talk about Lazy Lawrence. On a hot summer afternoon, when you feel too lazy to move a single toe, they say that Lazy Lawrence has got hold of you.