Two Fables

For Our Time

By "Posea”

Fable I

ONCE upon a time, in the very middle of the sea of Cificap, there was a small island, on which lived a man whose name was Palindromic. He and his family were poor, because this island had little soil, most of it being only a big black rock. The name of this rock was Etahpsohp.

The man could not eat the rock, nor grow food upon it, and so he was poor and he and his family were often hungry. But they were happy, because they knew no other life.

One day there came to this island a magician, whose name was Nam-Etihw. He was a great and powerful magician. He took a pick-axe and broke off a lump of the rock Etahpsohp, and with magical passes and with great effort he transmuted the lump into food for the poor man Palin dromic.

Then he chipped off other lumps, and afterwards more and more lumps, and transmuted them into bicycles and radios and houses and refrigerators and shirts and trousers and boots and knives and more and more food and this and that and the other thing, so that Palindromic and his family became sleek and fat and civilised, and no longer happy.

After many years the rock Etahpsohp was almost worn away, and Palindromic said to Nam- Etihw: “What will you do when the rock is finished, and there are no more lumps to be turned into good things for me and my family?” And Nam-Etihw said; “I shall go away”.

Then Palindromic became very angry and cried out “It is unfair!

You have made me and my family dependant, and you have taken away our rock, and where will we now find all the things which we must have?”

Then Nam-Etihw, who was by now old and very weary, asked: “What do you want me to do?”

And Palindromic said: “You must work a big magic, and make another island, far bigger than this one, and rich and fertile, and you must make houses and roads and schools and drains and swim ming pools; and you must magic ally transport my family and me and you must settle us upon this island; and you must give us all money (for we have now become a horde) from this time forth for evermore.”

Then Nam-Etihw was aghast and cried: “And if I do not, what then?” And Palindromic answered: “Then shall I call upon the Great God NU, who is all-powerful, and he will force you to do what I say.”

And Nam-Etihw was very fearful, for he knew that NU was indeed all-powerful, and he strained and strove, and to this day he yet strives and strains, to make a magic big enough to satisfy all the descendants of Palindromic. But he never can. . .

MORAL : Magic is a mug’s game.

Fable I

ONCE upon a time, in the land of Amanap, a man dug a ditch. It was a beautiful ditch, and other men came from far lands to sail their boats upon it; and they paid handsomely to the man who dug the ditch (whose name was Eeknay) so that he would let them sail their boats.

Now when the men of Amanap saw this they cried: “It is unfair; In the name of the Great God NU you must give us this ditch which you have dug.

We have done nothing to deserve it, and therefore it is ours. For this is the law of NU.”

MORAL : Digging ditches is a mug’s game. too.