"The Farsity Fables"

Our Polly-Tickle Column

Once upon a time, O beloved Aesopht, there was a young woodcutter who decided to go out into the world to seek his fortune. So one day he packed up his things, obtained his passport, and crossed the frontier into the strange land of Victoria, for many days he wandered through the shady Forest of Thought and there he met a Princess called Scientific Research and married her, though that is another story.

One day he left his Bride to cut wood in another part of the forest called the Common Room, and there he came across a man who was addressing a meeting of sad-faced people. And this man said unto the people "You say you want things done; why don't you go and do them?" Then the woodcutter asked "Lo, what is it that you want done?" and the man replied "We want men willing to go as ambassadors to our King, but everyone cries that he cannot give the time." Then the people crowded round crying "Will you go?" Now the young woodcutter wanted to go back to his Bride, but at last he said he would go if two others would support him.

Now when the Councillors of the King heard that these men were coming they forgot that these men were from the original inhabitants, that they had declared their meeting widely, and that they had a right to visit the King. And They were Terribly upset about it, crying "Lo, these men come in secret to steal power." But the King would not hear them and appointed one of the Woodcutters to his Cabinet, saying to the others "What else can I do for you?" And the young woodcutter spoke about expenses and taxes in the land—but before he could say much one of the Councillors stopped him and told the King the same thing saying. "Lo, I Personally attended to it" though the woodcutter was still trying to speak, which was rude of the Councillor. So the woodcutter spoke about breakages, announcing that only one had been caused deliberately—and the Councillor again interrupted him, denying this, saying "I personally saw the damage and know that the people of the woods are the only ones who would think of doing it." After the woodcutter had tried several times to speak, he gave it up in disgust, and the Councillors said he had not proved his facts.

But the young woodcutter went back to the Forest of Thought and said to the people "Now one of us is on the King's Cabinet and he will speak for us." And when the Councillors said nasty things about him he decided to reply only once, then go back to his Bride.—E.C.

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