Page 8 - The Gluckman Occasonal Number Nine

Parafables

[Tiny tales from which a lesson may be drawn are called “parables” when the
characters are human, “fables” when they are animal. But cautionary
generalizations are extractable from many sources, animate or not: collectively they
may be termed “parafables”. The story of the moral is the moral of the story.]

Parafable of the Hen

“Who will help me save the world?” said the little red hen. She saw
that the sky was falling, and wanted to do something about it. So she
and her chicks went around the barnyard asking the other animals for
help. “I’m too tired,” said the horse. “I’m eating: go away!” growled
the pig. “I don’t see the sky falling. Come back when you can prove
it,” said the cow. None of them wanted to help her save the world.
So she and her chicks built a spaceship to take them to the Big Red
Barnyard on Mars. When the other animals realized the sky really was
falling, and that the little red hen was going to escape the disaster,
they all wanted to go with her. But there was no space available for
them.
Moral: The earliest bird has already reserved its worm.

Parafable of the Bridge

Travelers Abe and Ben arrived at a chasm. To continue their voyage
they would have to cross it on a weak and swaying bridge. Abe said
to Ben, “You should cross it first; if it seems strong enough, then you
can beckon me to follow. If not, you can continue on without me.”
Ben replied, “But I am no judge of whether or not it is strong enough
to support me; if it isn’t, I would fall and die when it collapses. Then
neither of us would cross.” Abe objected: “I am still at risk, even if
you do cross safely: the bridge might be damaged by your passage,
and would not hold together for a second crossing.” Ben then said,
“It seems the issue is whether or not the bridge can handle any more
traffic at all, as its condition already puts us in doubt. It boils down to
who is willing to take a bigger chance.” And Abe replied, “The bigger
chance merits the greater reward: the first one to try crossing
succeeds or dies. The second takes a smaller chance—the bridge may
hold him, as well—but he knows that at least it has held the first.”