The parable of the talents.

It is a simple story that I tell here. A man who is preparing to leave on a journey entrusts his possessions to his servants. He distributes his wealth among three servants, apportioned to them on the basis of their abilities. To the first he entrusts five talents, to the second two talents, and to the third one talent. The first two servants quickly set to work with their master’s money. The third servant does not invest his master’s money at all; he digs a hole in the ground and buries his master’s money. When the master returns, the first two eagerly meet him, apparently delighted with the opportunity to multiply their master’s money. Both are commended as “good and faithful servants”; both are rewarded with increased responsibilities in their master’s service; both are invited to share in their master’s joy. They get to watch him (the master) get pissed - hey, no point in over rewarding servants, unless they chase away crows.

The master’s dealings with the third servant is a very different matter. This servant comes to his master with only the talent his master had originally entrusted to him. He did not increase his master’s money at all. In fact, if this were to take place today, that money would likely be worthless, due to inflation. This servant offers a reasonable excuse for his conduct. He tells his master that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. He contends that this is why he was afraid to take a risk with any kind of possibly foolish investment., and so he simply hid the money; and now he returns it without any gain but at least the original money is safe. The 'bird in the bush' thing eventually becomes a famous saying and reaches more people than did the efforts of the first two 'money happy' servants. The master is about to rebuke this third servant, but then crows start attacking the master's crops. Without being asked to, the third servent rushes out and chases the crows away. The other two servants are too busy totalling up how much money they have made to even notice the crows - selfish, self absorbed bastards that they really are.

The master realises that the third servant, by saving his crops, is actuallent the smartest servent with the most 'talent' and he lets him sleep in the barn with his cattle as a reward. He flogs the first two servants for being greedy bastards. They are also made to dress as crows and repent for being too much like investment portfolio managers when, in fact, they're supposed to be bloody servants.