Once upon a time there lived a foreman. He had been building houses all his life, but he became old and decided to retire.
“I’m quitting,” he told the employer. - I'm retiring. I will babysit my grandchildren with the old lady.
The owner was sorry to part with this man, and he asked him:
- Listen, let’s do this - build the last house and we’ll see you through to retirement. With a good bonus!
The foreman agreed. According to the new project, he needed to build a house for a small family, and so began: approvals, searches for materials, inspections...
The foreman was in a hurry because he already saw himself in retirement. He left something unfinished, simplified something, bought cheap materials because they could be delivered faster... He felt that he was not doing his best work, but justified himself by saying that this was the end of his career. Upon completion of construction, he called the owner.
He looked around the house and said:
- You know, this is your home! Here, take the keys and move in. All documents have already been completed. This is a gift from the company for your many years of work.
What the foreman experienced was known only to him! He stood red with shame, and everyone around clapped their hands, congratulated him on his housewarming and thought that he was blushing from shyness, but he was blushing with shame at his own negligence. He realized that all the mistakes and shortcomings were now his problems, and everyone around him thought that he was embarrassed by the expensive gift. And now he had to live in the only house that he built poorly...
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru