What word in ( ) fits?

1. If you are (negligent, reciprocal) about small sums of mone, you may find that you will never have any large sums to worry about 2. If our leadership is timid and (mercenary, inert), we will never be able to solve the great problems that face us. 3. Such familiar stories as "Little Red Riding Hood" are really (parables, veneers) that tell a child something about the conditions of human life.