How Malice Went to Learn a Trade


 The man said nothing.
 c"He can't be dead because he is breathing," Malice said.
He called again, "Boss, I want to learn your trade."
 *The man twisted himself lazily, mumbling, "Why do
you come and make me talk? That's too much trouble, too
much work for a poor man."
 <"Ah!" Malice breathed with enthusiasm." You'll be in-
terested in me if you will only listen to me. I think I have
talent."
 -"What do you want?" the man asked impatiently.
 a"I've been trying to tell you that I want to learn your
trade."
 -"Nobody can learn my trade," replied the man. "I'm the
only lazybones and trickster-master in the land. I can easily
teach you to be lazy, but it is hard to be a good trickster."
 ,"I don't think it'll be hard because it is the only trade
 in which I'm interested."
 *"No use," said the boss. "It's hard enough to think of
 teaching you, but I'd have to be thinking and talking to you.
 That's too much work for me."
 C"But you won't be sorry if you take me in," Malice said.
 4"Good. I'll try you out. But as I've said, it will be easy
 to learn to be a lazybones; but as for a trickster, if you can
 learn it so well that you're better than I, you can put me
 out of my shop and take it over. I'm sorry, though; you're
 going to waste your time and mine."
 ,"I'll take the chance, boss," Malice said.
 *So he began to take lessons right away. It didn't take
 him long at all to master the art of being a lazybones, as