Antonus replied, “They relate that there was a man who owned an expansive vineyard, rich in grapes; its vines formed an unbroken canopy and were heavy with fruit. He hired three men to weed and guard the vineyard, assigning each one a clearly defined section. He told them, ‘Watch over your area and keep it clear. Eat of the grapes as you please, but hold back from these other fruits; do not so much as approach them, lest my punishment befall you. Know that I will inspect your work and look closely into it, so beware of transgressing my command and bringing punishment upon yourselves.’

“One of the men devoted himself to the task: he guarded the vineyard, weeded it, and pulled up the grass. Content with eating the grapes, he abstained from the fruit that had been forbidden.

“The second behaved like his first companion for a while, but then he longed to taste the fruit and helped himself to it.

“The third threw himself into eating the fruit and abandoned the work altogether; his section was left to waste and ruin.

“The owner came to inspect his vineyard and review the labor of his workers. He began with the first man: he found sound workmanship, respect, and restraint from what had been prohibited. Pleased, he praised him and paid him more than his due wage; the man went away satisfied, delighted, and joyful.

“He then examined the second man’s work: he saw good workmanship, but he also saw ugly damage among the fruit. He asked, ‘What is this corruption I see?’ The man replied, ‘I ate from these fruits.’ The owner said, ‘Did I not forbid you to do that?’ He answered, ‘Indeed, but I was hoping for your pardon and kindness toward me.’ The owner responded, ‘That might have been possible had I not already commanded you to refrain from eating the fruit. Even so, I shall not overstep the mark in punishing you; I will penalize you only in proportion to your offence.’

“Then he turned to the third man’s section, and behold, it was in disarray—the vineyard laid waste and the fruit consumed. He said to him, ‘Woe to you! What is this?’ The man replied, ‘It is as you see.’ The owner said, ‘I see a vile deed and utter ruin…’”