The servant told the man that his Employer was always looking for good workers. But the man was still uneasy because he didn't know whether his wages would be enough to make payments on his huge debt and still provide for his daily needs. So, he told the servant about his huge debt and asked him what his wages would be. The servant told the man that his Master (the Employer) didn't pay wages, but that if he would come and work for Him, his huge debt would be taken care of and all his needs would be provided for. He would be given a nice place to live, good food to eat, clothes to wear, and anything else he truly needed or wanted if it would not be harmful to him.
By this time the man was becoming quite excited about the idea. There were only two questions left unanswered. The man asked the servant what kind of work he would be required to do. The servant said that his Master needed him to make bricks. That worried the man because he had never really made bricks before. The servant told the man that he need not worry because his Master would provide all the material and training. That left one last question. How many bricks would he be required to make each day? The servant then told the man that however many bricks he made each day, that would be the number required. That sounded very good to the man.
The man was then taken to the modest, but well built house in which he was to live. He noticed that the cupboards were all full and that there were plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables for him to eat. He also noticed that some of his favorite foods like cake and ice cream and cookies and candy didn't seem to be available, but he didn't really mind. He was so relieved that he didn't have that huge debt to worry about anymore that he was sure he could be quite happy without those things.
The next day the man got up bright and early to go to work. He wanted to make a good impression the first day on the job, so he tried very hard to make as many bricks as he could. He was kind of slow at first, because he had never really made bricks before, so by the end of the day he had only made about thirty bricks. He did the best he could, but he was a little worried that that might not be enough. When his supervisor came by at the end of the day to collect the bricks he had made, the man, kind of nervously, asked if thirty bricks would be enough. His supervisor then asked him if those were all the bricks he had made that day. The man answered, rather sheepishly, "yes sir." The supervisor said, "that's just fine,then."
Each day the man got better and faster at making bricks. He got to the point where he could make about ninety bricks a day. With the good food that was provided for him he seemed to have more energy than he ever had before, and he felt good about his work. The only thing he really missed was chocolate cake. If only he could have some chocolate cake he felt he would really be happy. Presently, while he was thinking about chocolate cake, he saw a peddler pushing a cart coming down the road right by where he was working.
When the peddler got to where the man was working, he walked right up to him and asked him if he would like to buy some the cake or ice cream or cookies or candy he had to sell. The man looked at the cart with all those "goodies" on it, and noticed a big chocolate cake which made his mouth water. He told the peddler that he'd like to have some of that cake, but he didn't have any money with which to pay for it. The peddler told the man that wasn't a problem. He said, "If you'll give me twenty-five of those bricks, I'll give you the whole chocolate cake." The man said, "I couldn't do that, why, every brick I make I owe to my employer." The peddler assured the man he needn't worry. Why, he could always make it up by making extra bricks the next day. With that the man was convinced it would be all right, and gave the twenty-five bricks for his chocolate cake. The man immediately ate a piece of his chocolate cake and was it ever good. He had almost forgotten how much he liked that wonderful taste. He ate one more piece and then he went back to work. He ate another piece at lunch time and another just before it was time to quit. He just couldn't get enough of it.
Presently, the supervisor came by to collect his bricks for the day. When asked if those were all the bricks he had made that day, the man said, "not exactly." He then went on to explain that he had given twenty-five of them to the peddler in exchange for a chocolate cake, but that he would make up for it by making extra bricks the next day. The supervisor seemed somewhat less than satisfied with the man's explanation, but he took the remaining bricks and went his way.
The man went home that evening and with his supper he ate another piece of the chocolate cake. By now it wasn't tasting quite as good as it had earlier in the day, but nonetheless, it still tasted pretty good. That night for some strange reason he had a hard time getting to sleep. He did finally get to sleep, but he woke up again about midnight and polished off the rest of his cake. By now he kind of wished he hadn't traded for it, because he was feeling slightly sick to his stomach. Nevertheless, he got up a few hours earlier the next morning so that he would have plenty of time to make twenty-five "extra" bricks to make up for the short-fall the day before. So, before he normally would have started to work he already had twenty-five bricks made and set them aside in a pile by themselves. Then he continued to work fast and efficiently and made substantially more bricks than he normally would have made in a day in addition to the twenty-five "extras" he made that morning.
When the supervisor came by at the end of the day, the man felt pretty good about the fact that he had been able to make more bricks in a day than he ever had before, not to mention the "extras." So, when the supervisor asked him for the bricks that he had made that day, the man, rather proudly, replied, "Here they are, more than I've ever made in one day before."
Then the supervisor asked, "Are these all the bricks you made today?"
"Well, not exactly," answered the man, "I made twenty-five others earlier this morning, before I normally would have started working. I made them to make up the difference for the ones I traded for the chocolate cake yesterday."
"Oh, I'm sorry," said the supervisor. "Didn't you understand when you came to work here that all the bricks you make in a particular day are required on that day?"
"You mean to say I'll never be able to pay back those twenty-five bricks?," lamented the man.
"I don't see how," replied the supervisor.
Now the man really felt bad. After all his Employer had done for him, seeing to it that his huge debt was paid off when he came to work for Him, and providing for all his needs, how was he ever going to pay Him back those twenty-five bricks he owed Him.
Sorrowfully, the next day he went back to work making bricks when, by and by, he saw his Employer's Son coming down the road by where he was working, pulling a cart behind Him. When he got to where the man was working, He walked right up to him and said, "I understand you were twenty-five bricks short the other day when your supervisor came to collect your day's work."
"That's right," said the man, "and I'm so sorry I traded those bricks for that chocolate cake. I only wish there was some way I could repay my Employer for those bricks I cheated Him out of."
"Well, I knew you felt bad about it," said the Son; "so I made twenty-five bricks for you."
"Oh, how can I ever thank you?," asked the man.
"Don't worry about it," said the Son. "I just want to be your friend." With that, He took the twenty-five bricks, which He had made, out of His cart and left them there and walked away. Strangely, though the man had seen Him walk away, he felt as if the Son was still there with him all the rest of the day.
When the supervisor came at the end of the day to collect the man's bricks, he showed him the pile of bricks he had made that day. Then the supervisor asked, "Are these all the bricks you've made today?"
The man was able to reply, "Yes sir. And this pile of twenty-five over here I wish to use to pay my debt to the Employer."
"Did you make those bricks," asked the supervisor?
"No sir," replied the man, "the Employer's Son did. And He gave them to me.
"Well then," smiled the supervisor, "I reckon your account is paid in full."
Needless to say, the man never did trade his Employer's bricks for chocolate cake again.
