There once was an incredibly lazy man. He loved nothing more than to sit and watch others going about their business. This man was so lazy that everyone simply called him “Ole” which means “lazy one”.
One day while he was sitting down doing nothing, as usual, Ole noticed some ants building an anthill outside his house. He was fascinated by the little creatures and thought to himself “when the anthill is high enough, I will sit on top of it and look down on everyone like a king”. So, he watched and waited as the ants stripped the bushes and trees around his house to build the anthill and he didn’t try to stop them.
Finally, the anthill was tall enough. Ole was very excited “at last, I can sit up high and look down at everyone from my throne” he thought to himself as he placed his chair on the anthill, and sat down feeling very proud. He spent the whole day on top of the anthill watching his neighbours work. “Keep up the hard work” he mocked as they walked past.
What Ole didn’t realise was that while he was sitting on the anthill, watching his neighbours work, the ants had started destroying his house. Soon his house and everything he owned was gone. Instead of feeling like a king, Ole now felt very foolish. His neighbours in turn mocked him as they walked past, saying “ku ijoko o! Ole” which means “greetings on your sitting lazy one”. Ole was so ashamed of himself that he left the village and never returned.
