162
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 214:
Line 214: + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Adding a parable
The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, 'Welcome to the conservative's philosophy.'
The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, 'Welcome to the conservative's philosophy.'
== The Mouse Tower ==
There was once a cruel and greedy bishop who ruled over the town of Mainz. His name was Hatto.
One year, there was a famine and all the crops died. Day after day, the people banged on his castle doors, crying for food.
Eventually, Hatto tired of the people coming to his doors day after day, begging for food. So, he came out on his balcony to deliver a speech.
"I've changed my mind," he said. "I am going to give you all enough food to fill your stomachs to the top!" The people cheered.
Hatto led the people into one of his largest barns, which was empty at the time. He told the people to go inside.
As soon as all the people were inside, Hatto closed and locked the doors.
The people were expecting Hatto to start distributing food, but instead, they heard his cruel chuckle.
"You have pestered me like rats, and now you shall die like rats." He set a torch to the base of the barn, and it began to burn.
The people began to scream for mercy, but Hatto couldn't have cared less. "Hear the mice squeak!", he said, and then saddled his horse and galloped off to his castle.
The barn burned to the ground. Not one peasant survived the flames.
Several weeks later, Hatto sent a servant to the ashes to dispose of the bodies. Not a sign of the peasants could be found anywhere.
When the servant reported this to Hatto, he simply shrugged. "Good riddance. Dust to dust."
That night, Hatto's sleep was troubled by squeaking and scrabbling.
When he woke up the next morning, there was a rat on his pillow. He shooed it away.
There were rats in his shoes. He kicked them out.
When he sat down to eat, there was rats in his food. Rats in his clothes. Rats in his stables. This went on for three long days.
On the fourth day, a servant ran in fear to Hatto. "Look, my lord! An army of rats is besieging the castle!"
Hatto ran to look out the window. A swarm of rats was heading right for his castle, from the ruins of the burned barn!
He called to his servants, and they pulled up the drawbridge. Hatto smiled to himself, and went to bed.
Something caused him to wake up in the night. Looking out the window, he saw thousands of rats swarming across the moat!
Screaming in terror, he ran to the castle's highest tower, and barricaded the door. He opened the tower windows and threw out bread and cheese to satisfy the ravenous horde.
The rats ignored the food, for they hadn't come for it. They had come for something else.
Hatto sat down in the tower, and waited. It wasn't a long wait. From the other side of the tower door came the sound of gnawing...
Several days later, a few servants dared to look inside of the ruined tower. They found untouched bread, cheese and wine, but no sign of Hatto...