A Parable of our Times
Page 62
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AND in that land there was a race of men who toiled mightily upon the face of the earth, and with divers strange vehicles did carry men's goods from one place unto another. Greatly did they Labour, and from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof and oft-times even until the next rising did they do men's bidding and Strive to make those men happy.
And for this labour they were a c.-caistomed to ask for gold pieces, though not many: for inasmuch as one would say "Lo! I will carry thy harvest from here unto there and it will cost thee five gold pieces" then another would say unto the same man: "Behold! I will perform the carrying and it shall set thee back only four pieces of gold!" So did they strive one against the other, for thus was their nature.
Now there was another race of men who conveyed the vehicles about the land and these were called "drivers". And these also toiled mightily, though not as mightily as they used to, for many wise men produced wondrous devices for Mechanical Handling and Powered Steering and other marvels.
Nonetheless, these drivers were wont to discuss one with the other and to say "It's all right for him" and "It's a hard life for us" and other sayings of like kind, and they were never loath to ask for more pieces of gold, for they followed a prophet.
This prophet arose many years gone, and he had no lack olhearers, for he said unto men "You are hard done by!" Those who listened wagged their heads and said. "He is right, brother", and they gave great heed to his teachings and to those of his followers. And the greatest of these teachings was a magic phrase — "Unity is strength.", And none could argue with this, as was soon proven in the sight of all men: for when men gathered under his banner their strength was not that of drops of rain but that of a rushing-river. And men in divers trades and occupations saw this truth and banded themselves together and so acquired this great strength.
And even they who owned the vehicles paused from their labours for a while and said one to the other "Behold, though these men speak with the voices of braying asses and seek often with half-truths -to lead men's minds astray, yet it is beyond dispute that they have achieved this magic strength while we still rend each other limb from limb and so remain weak."
And some among them arose and said "Then let us also band together and find for ourselves a magic phrase: then shall we speak with one voice and all men shall listen and shall know our strength" And the others wagged their heads and cried "Yea! Yea! We will make unto ourselves a Unity, but not a Union for that word is anathema in the ears of honest men. We will be an Association, and will make common cause one with another for the good of all. Then shall we make a good living and no man shall say us nay!"
And this came to pass, and an . Association came into being and it became possessed of Councils and Areas and even Sub-Areas so great was its size. And it made Pronouncements, and the world listened unto them, and the scribes recorded these saying "The Association will do thus and thus," and "The Association sayeth with great regret that from the morrow more gold pieces must be forthcoming for the performances of such a task," and much more of that talk.
And yet it seemed to sundry wise men that the magic of the Association was less than that of the Union, for while no member of the latter would offer his services for lesS gold than the Union had declared this was not always the case with the former. Indeed, it was known that men who spoke loudly within the Association on matters touching increased and multiplied charges were to be found at the next rising of the sun speaking more softly and in differing wise to those whom they had addressed as the Association.
And in one year it came to pass that the Governors of the land saw fit to pass a law touching the operation of the vehicles and the men, and this brought about a wondrous miracle: for lo1 those who owned the vehicles and those who drove them made common cause in the face of this Law, which they deemed a Bad Law. And the Association sounded a trumpet-blast and called upon all men to Stand Up and Be Counted. And to the amazement of many there came a great gathering both of Association and of Union men and they assembled in that Hall which is called Albert. And there they listened to sundry wise men and great was the shouting and acclamation and great was the Miracle, for all men were in accord.
And yet nothing came of this, and again they went their separate ways: and after that it was that there came pronouncements saying "Let all men know that from next Monday all al those men who are called drivers who dwell in that part of the land called Scotland shall receive more gold pieces: and should they not, then no goods will move after that day upon the face of the land." And others said "Behold, they who are forced to dwell in the wilderness that is called Birmingham shall receive recompense for their misfortune in the form of more gold pieces". And many more such pronouncements.
And all men listened, for they saw that these things verily did come to pass. And they said one to the other "In sooth it is right, Unity IS strength" for so it was proven time and again. And yet those who were in Association (though not Union) wrung their hands and beat their breasts crying "Woe is us! Whatever can we do?" And they foregathered in their Councils and their Areas and their Sub-Areas and agreed one with the other that it was a time of great tribulation.
And many of these men held themselves to be wiser than those who spoke for the Union, yet could they seemingly not see and perceive what was of a great clarity to those others who were supposedly less wise. Mayhap was ii that they could not bring themselves tc trust one another, for of course they did not call each other "Brother" nor wal their history one of co-operation, And some look for a new prophet, though hi: magic must be great indeed if it is to pre. vail over that of the other. For "Unity i; Strength" is a great Truth, and what car prevail against Truth?
M.K