The reward

In a mountain village there was a man who was renowned for his diligence. However - his son was extremely lazy. All day he would do nothing and never got bored of it. One afternoon he went to his father:

- Father, I saw some boys with new, beautiful boots. I would like a pair too.
- Well, my son, if you would work just a little bit, I would give you the money for the boots...

The boy said nothing and left all upset. He was so wishing for the new boots that next day he went back to his father, asking for money. His father refused him again.

When he came back the third day, his father told him:

- I see you really want those boots. Right now I am busy here in the garden, but if you go into the attic there is some wheat you need to work. Go get a shovel and see there is a heap of what up in the attic; it needs sifting: start sifting it and then come back and I'll give you the money.

Happy, the boy went to the attic... but once there he thought nobody will know if he worked or not... He took a short nap, then went back to his father:

- Father, I am done! will you give me the money now?
- Absolutely not! said the man. I told you to work, not to waste the time. Go back and finish working.

The boy went to the attic, wondering how would his father know he didn't do any work. Maybe he saw him sleeping... so he climbed to the attic and started to watch his father. After about half an hour (during which time the man kept working in the garden) he went back to his father.

- Done, all done now. May I have the money now?
- Son, not only you're lazy, you're a liar too! Have you no shame? I asked you to finish the work and only after that come back. Please do so!

Seeing there is no solution, the boy went back to the attic, took the shovel, and as soon as he shove it into the wheat pile... he bumped the shovel into a pair of new boots exactly the ones he wished so for!

He was happy, but at the same time very ashamed for all the lies he told his father before. After he sifted all the wheat he went down in the garden to help his father, without being asked.