Never having learned to be useful to anybody else, he was now of no use to himself, and was often without a meal, and always in shabby clothes;—for no one cared to assist an idle man, who had brought on his own troubles.
One day, whilst sitting in a public-house, as he often did, reading the newspaper, he saw in it that Busy Ben had built a ship, which was the talk of all London; and that the Queen, hearing how Busy Ben got on, from a poor boy, to be what he was, had knighted him. And this was all owing to his good conduct and industry.
Idle Isaac now began to wish he had minded what Busy Ben had said to him when a boy: he was at this time very poor, so he knew he must do something;—but never having been taught a trade—what that something was, we shall soon see.
Ben, by this time had a wife and two children, a little boy and girl; and they had a pet dog and cat: and, one morning, there was a great yelping and mewing between them, for the man who usually brought their meat was a long while past his time.
“O, here he is,” at last cried one of the children; “but, papa, it is not the same man that came before.”
And who do you think the new cats’ meat man was?—Idle Isaac!—yes, it was indeed him!
Ben rang for his servant, and desired him to ask Isaac into the hall.