The Tailor & his Apprentices

There was once a country tailor who had two apprentices, and he used to keep them at work till eleven o'clock at night. One day the tailor had to go to the town to buy cloth, and he came back late in the evening, passing on his way home through a lonely wood. The apprentices, who knew that he would come home through the wood, went out after dark, and got up a tree near the footpath on which they knew that their master would pass. In a short time they heard the tailor coming, and one of them called out "Abraham” The tailor answered, " Yes, my Lord," thinking it was God who had spoken to him. One of the apprentices in the tree said:  

If thou keepest thy lads at work till eleven  

Thou shalt not enter the kingdom of heaven.  

When the tailor had gone the boys ran quickly home by a shorter way, and were at work when their master reached the house. As soon as he had opened the door he said to them, " Put your work away, lads, put your work away," and they were never kept so late at work afterwards.