A Mason and A House

There was once a very talented mason who was always in demand for his excellent craftsmanship. His employer was very proud of him and felt very sad when one day the mason expressed his desire to retire.

“Sir, I am getting old and I wish to spend time with my family. You have paid me well and I will certainly miss the money. But I am getting tired and would like to relax a bit”, the mason said.

The employer understood his viewpoint but requested the mason to build one last house before he left. The mason could not refuse this request and decided to build the house. Since he had set his heart on retirement he had lost all his enthusiasm and love for his profession. He built the house without fully concentrating on it which resulted in imperfect finishing and bad workmanship.

It was time to show the house to the employer. The gentleman saw the house and then handed over the keys to the mason saying, “This house is my gift for you.” The mason was numb with shock!

 He was overcome with shame as he realized that he had , done justice neither to his employer nor his profession with his half-hearted efforts. He knew that if only he had known that the house was actually for him he would have built it differently!