21 The Three Lazy Sons (Germany)

A king had three sons whom he loved equally, and he didn’t know which of them he should choose to be king after his death. When it came time for him to die, he called them to his bedside and said: “Dear children, I’ve come to a decision which I will now reveal to you: whichever one of you is the laziest shall become king after me.”The eldest said: “Father, then the kingdom is mine, because I’m so lazy that when I’m lying on my back all ready to fall asleep and the rain starts falling in my eyes, I’d sooner stay awake than close them.”The second said: “Father, the kingdom is mine,because I’m so lazy that when I sit warming myself by the fire, I’d sooner burn my heels than pull my legs in.”The third said: “Father, the kingdom is mine, because I’m so lazy that if I were going to be hanged and the noose were already around my neck, and somebody handed me a sharp knife and said I could cut the rope with it, I’d sooner let them hang me than raise my hand to the rope.”When the father heard that, he said: “You’re the laziest of all. You shall be king.”

—Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm