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| | 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.' |
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| − | == The Mouse Tower ==
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| − | There was once a cruel and greedy bishop who ruled over the town of Mainz. His name was Hatto.
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| − | One year, there was a famine and all the crops died. Day after day, the people banged on his castle doors, crying for food.
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| − | 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.
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| − | "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.
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| − | Hatto led the people into one of his largest barns, which was empty at the time. He told the people to go inside.
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| − | As soon as all the people were inside, Hatto closed and locked the doors.
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| − | The people were expecting Hatto to start distributing food, but instead, they heard his cruel chuckle.
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| − | "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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | The barn burned to the ground. Not one peasant survived the flames.
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| − | 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.
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| − | When the servant reported this to Hatto, he simply shrugged. "Good riddance. Dust to dust."
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| − | That night, Hatto's sleep was troubled by squeaking and scrabbling.
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| − | When he woke up the next morning, there was a rat on his pillow. He shooed it away.
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| − | There were rats in his shoes. He kicked them out.
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| − | 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.
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| − | On the fourth day, a servant ran in fear to Hatto. "Look, my lord! An army of rats is besieging the castle!"
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| − | Hatto ran to look out the window. A swarm of rats was heading right for his castle, from the ruins of the burned barn!
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| − | He called to his servants, and they pulled up the drawbridge. Hatto smiled to himself, and went to bed.
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| − | Something caused him to wake up in the night. Looking out the window, he saw thousands of rats swarming across the moat!
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| − | 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.
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| − | The rats ignored the food, for they hadn't come for it. They had come for something else.
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| − | 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...
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| − | 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...
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