They had not gone far when they saw a dog lying by the road -side; and the boy said, “May I not play with the dog? For it seems to have nothing to do.”
Just then a man gave a loud whistle. The dog started up at once, and ran off to help him with the sheep he was driving to the market.
Still further on, the boy saw a horse eating, and said, “It can have nothing to do, so I shall go and play with it.” But as he went forward, a man went up with a halter, which he put on the horse's head.
As he did so, he said to the boy, “My little fellow, my horse must plough and harrow my fields. I must have oats and barley and wheat to grind and sell, that I may get money.”
Then, when the boy saw that every bee and bird and beast had something to do, he said to his sister, “Well, I shall go to school and learn my lessons.
“When I get home, mother win allow me a good long time for play with the other boys, before I go to bed.”
Saying this, he ran off to school; and his sister was glad to get away to do her own errands.
两人走了没多远,看见路边卧着一只狗。小男孩说:“我不能跟狗玩玩吗?它看着好像没什么事可做啊。”
就在这时候,有个人大声吹了一声口哨。狗马上就爬了起来,跑过去帮他赶羊。那人正把一群羊赶到集市上去。
又走了一阵子,小男孩看见一匹马在吃草,就说:“这匹马应该没事做,我就去跟马玩吧。”可是,他正往前走着,有个人带着缰绳过来了,把缰绳套在了马头上。
他一边套缰绳一边跟小男孩说:“小家伙,我的马还得给我耕地、耙地呢!我得种燕麦、大麦、小麦,磨碎了卖面,卖了挣钱啊!”
这么一来,小男孩看见了,每一只蜜蜂,每一只鸟,每一只动物都有事情做,就跟姐姐说:“嗯,我该去学校上课了。
“我回家的时候,妈妈会给我好长的时间,让我跟别的孩子玩,然后我再上床睡觉!”
说完,他就朝学校跑去了。姐姐高高兴兴地走开,去办自己的事情了。