Lazy John and Apples

In a small village, there lived a boy named Leo who was the laziest child anyone had ever seen. He couldn’t be bothered to do even the simplest tasks, like changing his clothes or tidying his room. One bright morning, as Leo lounged by his window, he spotted the family apple tree heavy with ripe, tempting fruit. His stomach rumbled at the sight, but the thought of climbing the tree exhausted him.

“If only those apples would just drop into my hands,” Leo sighed, yawning. With this wishful thinking, he dragged himself to the tree and sprawled beneath it, closing his eyes in hopeful anticipation.

Hours passed. The sun climbed higher, and Leo’s hunger grew. When he finally peeked up at the branches, not a single apple had fallen. “Why won’t they just come down on their own?” he grumbled, growing impatient.

Just then, his energetic younger sister, Mia, came bouncing into the yard. She took one look at Leo lying under the tree and asked, “What are you doing, Leo?”

Leo explained his grand plan of waiting for the apples to fall. Mia burst into laughter. “That’s silly! Why don’t you shake the tree instead?”

Leo’s face lit up. “That’s brilliant!” he cried, jumping to his feet. With renewed vigor, he grabbed the trunk and shook it as hard as he could. Apples tumbled down like raindrops, and Leo eagerly caught them, his grin widening with each one. “Thanks, Mia!” he said, finally understanding.

From that day forward, Leo carried this lesson with him: laziness leads nowhere, but a little effort can bring sweet rewards.