An Old Fable For Our Time

I was researching the fable "The Grasshopper and the Ant", one of the many attributed to the ancient Greek fabulist Aesop, for a comment I was making elsewhere in the blogosphere. Some of you might recall the Walt Disney Silly Symphony of the same name, in which the Grasshopper of the title, a lazy fellow, is constantly singing:

     Oh, the world owes me a living...

Turns out that an early compiler of Aesop's fables in English, one William Caxton, finished his recitation of the Greek's work with one of his own, said to have been collected by a religious associate of his. You can read the original here. I've tried to translate it into modern American English.

"Once there were two priests, both well versed in the Scriptures and in the art of preaching. They did their schooling together and knew each other reasonably well. But the one was a really glib, sharp, charismatic fellow, while the other was merely a good, simple man.

"Naturally, the hotshot was soon promoted into high administrative positions within the Catholic Church, and wound up the chief of a prince's private chapel. And he figured that, all this time, his one-time seminary friend would be languishing in subordinate positions, or at the very most would have become a parish priest.

"After many years, the charismatic priest, now dean of his prince's chapel, came riding into a country parish, with a carriage and a team of hangers-on worthy of a bishop. The priest of the parish greeted him, bowing low, in subservience to his church superior. The dean recognized him, called him by name, picked him up off the ground and shook his hand.

"'Where are you living now, pal?'"

"'Right here. In this parish.'"

"'Who's looking after you?'"

"'I am. I'm the leader, the head priest of this parish. Don't know how come, I'm not good enough for the job. But there it is.'"

"'Great! Forgive me, but I never figured you'd make it. Congratulations! How well is this parish treating you? Got plenty coming in for your keep?'"

"'Wouldn't have a clue. I don't keep count.'"

"'C'mon. This place is thriving. Your bank account must be stuffed.'"

"'Not so the bank would notice. But I know what this place is worth to me.'"

"'How's that, if you don't know what's in your 401K?'"

"'It's like this. If I take good care of my parishioners, with the masses and the community service and all that stuff, I'll wind up in Heaven. But if this congregation falls apart, and I have rapes and murders and distrust and all this stuff, especially if I do nothing to stop it (Heaven help us if I should have a hand in it), then I'm going to get beat up for it. That's all I really need to know.'"

Well, Caxton goes on to say that the dean was abashed by this simple truth, and went forth thenceforth to pay less attention to his money and more attention to the people under his charge.

I did say it was a fable, didn't I?

Sigh.

In this connection, you should see the cartoon and associated video entitled "Let's All Waterboard" here.

  - O Ceallaigh

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All opinions are mine as a private citizen.