The Parable of the Talents (borrowed and adapted from the Gospel of Matthew)
14: "For it will be as when a professor preparing an exam called his servants
and entrusted to them his knowledge;
15: from him one remembered five pieces of information, another two, another
one, each according to his or her ability. Then he went away.
16: The one who had remembered five pieces of information went at once to the
library and cross-referenced them; and she gained five more insights.
17: So also, he who had the two pieces of information went on-line and gleaned
two more details.
18: But he who had remembered only one piece of information went and wrote it
down and put it in his pocket.
19: Now during exam week, the professor of those servants came and examined
them.
20: And she who had remembered the five pieces of information wrote her exam,
bringing five insights more, saying, `Professor, you delivered to me five of
your insights; here I have made five more insights of my own.'
21: Her professor said to her, `Well done, good and faithful student; you have
been faithful with a little, I will reward you with much; enter into the joy of
receiving an A.'
22: And he also who had remembered the two pieces of information wrote his exam,
saying, `Master, I was able to remember two key points you made in class; here I
have added to them two more I found through my own reading.'
23: His professor said to him, `Well done, good and faithful student; you have
been faithful with a little, I will reward you with much; enter into the joy of
those who receive a B+.'
24: He also who had remembered the one detail came forward, saying, `Professor,
I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where
you did not winnow;
25: so I was afraid, and I went and hid what I learned in my pocket. Here on the
exam you have this one detail, reproduced exactly as you gave it to us.'
26: But his professor answered him, `You wicked and slothful student! You knew
that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?
27: Then you ought to have invested the knowledge I shared with time and reading
of your own, and at the time of my examining you, I should have received what
was my own with interest.
28: So take the piece of knowledge from him, and give it to her who has the ten
insights.
29: For to every one who has will more be given, and she will have abundance;
but from the one who has not, even what he or she has will be taken away.
30: And give the unprofitable student a C-; such students will weep and gnash
their teeth.'
For the original version visit http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=RsvMatt.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=25&division=div1