There was an Eastern householder. He had great estates, and fields and vineyards, stretching far up on the hillsides, and kept with great care by his vine-dressers. By and by the grapes were ready for picking and the householder went out early in the morning to hire the labourers for his vineyard.
In those days there was a certain coin which was considered fair pay for a day's wages.
Some of you who read the story in the Bible may say, "A penny for a day's work!" But this is only because the money then was of such a different value from what it is now; and a Roman penny was worth nearly eight times what our penny is now, and was at that time the usual hire for a day's work.
So the lord of the vineyard went out early to engage the men to get in his harvest; and when he had agreed with them for a certain sum, he sent them into his vineyard.
By and by, about nine o'clock in the morning, he went out again; and seeing others standing idle in the market-place, he said to them: "Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you."
So they went their way, and entered the vineyard.
Then came twelve o'clock, and then three o'clock; and still the householder wanted more men to labour in his vineyard. As our Lord had said in another place, "The Harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few."
At length, at the last hour before sundown, the householder went out once more, and found others standing idle, and he said to them: "Why are you standing here idle all the day?"
And they answered him: "Because no one has hired us."
So the householder said to them: "Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that ye shall receive."