Beasts of Burden F OR many years the man with loads
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to fetch and carry managed to get along very well with his • faithful Dobbin, who wore blinkers and harness to remind him that he must not presume on the advantage of being the only pebble on the beach. After a time other animals came to the farm. One in particular impressed the man with its youth and vigour, and soon found itself with work to do.
Dobbin was inclined to be jealous of his upstart rival, and he was in a position to make his opinion felt, for he had many friends in the farmhouse who regarded him as one of the family and on occasions spoiled him.
"Although the Beast may be a good worker," they told the man, "he is probably carnivorous, and will very soon make mincemeat of poor Dobbin, who, after all, given proper care and attention, has many years of useful service in front of him."
Hobbled and Muzzled
Accordingly, the newcomer was hobbled and muzzled, and allowed to do only certain kinds of work. Finding his enemy unable to retaliate, Dobbin was encouraged to approach it from behind every now and again and give it a good kick. This he did sparingly, for on the whole he was a good-tempered animal. I
Meanwhile, other creatures had settled down in the next field. Although distant relations of the Beast, they were allowed to roam as they wished, fetching and carrying for themselves. They may have owed this freedom from restraint either to their sharp teeth or to their harmless, rabbit-like appearance. Certainly they lived up to the latter, for they multiplied rapidly. They did not attack Dobbin, but nibbled away at his pasture. Partly on account of his antiquated harness, he was unable to keep them away. He brayed his disapproval and even sought to come to agreeable terms with his upstart rival.
One day there came to the farmhouse a visitor wearing a black coat and striped trousers, and carrying a brief case.
The New Squire There is a new Lord of the Manor," he told the man, "and I am his Agent. He feels there is a waste of animal-power in this establishment. He proposes, therefore, to buy Dobbin at a price he has already fixed, but will allow you to continue using the gallant veteran, provided, of course, you pay the proper rate."
What is the proper rate?" asked the man.
Don't worry," said the Agent. "We shall look after that. At the same time, we have bought for you, at tremendous expense, a splendid Elephant, white with ivory tusks. Team him up with Dobbin and you will find all your troubles disappear. As for that mangy Beast, you give it far too much rope. You will have to tether it. We have told the Elephant to keep an eye on it and to see that it behaves itself."
He looked over at the next field.
We'd like to do something about those Rabbits," he said wistfully. "The trouble is that we have Rabbits of our own up at the Big House and we can't afford to hurt their feelings."
When the Agent had gone, the man had a closer look at the Elephant without experiencing any great feeling of pleasure, scratched his head and went off to report the results of the interview to the other inhabitants of the farmhouse.
"You put them in—now get them out," was all they said, which was not a great deal of help.
Once the Beast was tethered, there was not much he could do except work the treadmill. Dobbin and the Elephant used to stroll over when they had time to spare and Al-treati the Beast, a process they found very much to their liking, as he had no way of kicking them back.
The Elephant was not an unqualified success. Wherever he went he left great holes in the ground; he seldom seemed to be available when he was wanted; and his appetite was enormous. Dobbin seemed not much better nor much worse for having a stable-companion. . The Rabbits increased in number more quickly than ever, and helped themselves as freely to the Elepharit's fodder as to Dobbin's: The Rabbits Multiplied The Elephant was at pains to keep the Beast in his place, but he seemed unable to do anything about the Rabbits. Indeed, the Beast was suspected of the parentage of several strange hybrids that had recently joined the Rabbits in their field. The Agent came several times and took voluminous notes of the phenomenon, but nothing further happened.
After a time the man began to complain whenever he saw the Agent.
"The Elephant doesn't seem cut out for this sort of work," he said. "I would rather get rid of him and let the Beast have a bit more rope. He would at least look after his oats and keep the Rabbits away."
"On no account must you do that," said the Agent. "Think of what would happen to poor Dobbin. Just persevere for a few more years and you will find yourself the envy of your neighbours."
The man said no more, but he remembered the last occasion on which his neighbours had come around that way.
The Tethered Beast "I wonder why you keep that poor Beast tied up,"
they said. "As for that Elephant, I wouldn't give it stable-room. It's a sure sign that you are not managing things properly when the Rabbits breed so fast. A nice mess we should be in if the Government ran the country the way you run your farm."
MORAL: It is all very well for the neighbours to give advice, but how, do you get rid of an elephant?
At least, that is as good a moral as any. I have perhaps failed to bring out sufficiently clearly the good points about the Elephant, such as its beautiful glossy coat and the time it spent at evening classes. And no doubt the neighbours were just having a bit of fun. Whyahey called was actually to tell the man about the new Government's new Bill. It was only that I felt it time to bring the fable to an end before I frightened myself to death. Just imagine for one moment that it might be true !