Now it came to pass that his father said to him one day “Hearken to me, thou fellow in the corner there, thou art growing tall and strong, and thou too must learn something by which thou canst earn thy living. Look how thy brother works, but thou dost not even earn thy salt.”

“Well, father,” he replied, “I am quite willing to learn something⁠—indeed, if it could but be managed, I should like to learn how to shudder. I don’t understand that at all yet.”

The elder brother smiled when he heard that, and thought to himself, “Good God, what a blockhead that brother of mine is! He will never be good for anything as long as he lives. He who wants to be a sickle must bend himself betimes.”

The father sighed, and answered him, “Thou shalt soon learn what it is to shudder, but thou wilt not earn thy bread by that.”