THE UNWRITTEN VERSION

AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING

YOU cannot fish and cut bait at the same time. This is one of the first economic discoveries that was made on the ancient coasts of Ireland. Simple and logical people solved this problem by deciding that he who fished should cut his own bait. But life is neither simple nor logical; and something was soon heard about the inequality of man, the duties of labor, and the rights of property.

You cannot eat your fish and have it. This was another economic discovery on the Irish coast. Simple and logical people supposed that the man who ate his fish would expect nothing more. But they reckoned without the high devices of capital and credit without wages, or rent, or interest, or profit, or other disagreeable factors in the long squabble about fish.

Everything, however, was peaceful at the start. In the good old days of slavery men arranged so that the lower orders cut bait while the upper classes fished a practical simplification. It was based on the principle that the faculty for producing is unequal. But the faculty for being "practical" is also unequal. Among the slaves there were a few disquieting creatures who had the gift of imagina

tion. Imagination is the great enemy of practicality. It occurred to these souls that, since fishing seemed an agreeable employment, cutting bait could not be the whole duty of man. This idea possessed its victims like a demon, and presented itself in new and attractive disguises. A few weak-minded fishermen were inclined to indulge it, but it was contrary to the established order. It was pronounced detestable, unreasonable and unscientific by nearly every member of the fishing classes. And it was rejected by a majority of the slaves themselves.

These latter slaves had always cut bait. Their fathers and grandfathers had cut bait before them. They knew nothing of fishing. They felt unequal to fishing. Who were they, slimy smelly wretches, that they should intrude themselves on men of real attainment? They believed that, according to nature, they were not intended to fish. They argued that, though they did not fish themselves, wiser men than themselves gave them part of the fish that they had caught, and they preferred to go on cutting bait, a humble task, but useful, necessary and inevitable. How, they asked, could fishing be carried on at all unless some one cut bait, and was it fair to ask fine fishermen to take up a task so menial? In this conclusion they were applauded by the fishermen, and rewarded with an extra sprat. And men came to them who never fished themselves, holy men in petticoats, and said: "Do not set your mind on fish. Fish is the root of all evil. We, who neither fish nor cut bait, but live on the little you provide for us, we say that pious resignation is the height of philosophy. At best, fishing is but vanity. Will a fish add a cubit to your stature? Nay, nor two fishes.

The fishermen are no happier than yourselves. They lay up fish, but the worms devour it. What is fish, in the end, but an earthly possession? Do not rail against fortune. There is great comfort in cutting bait, if you but cut with a willing heart. Therefore, cut bait, and remember that your humble fortune is especially dear to providence. Cut bait, my children, and recollect that if you are pure of heart, all will be added unto you. Thank you for

the sprat. Could you not spare another, for the conversion of the benighted heathen? Thank you again. Though it be a small sprat, it is offered with a large heart. If you will kneel down, I shall give you my blessing. Kiss this hand. God bless you, my children. I shall intercede for you with the Almighty. Be of good cheer. The meek shall inherit the sprats."

THE DIVISION OF LABOR

Meanwhile the discontented slaves were put down as great talkers but poor cutters of bait. They did not do their share, and could the world go on unless every man did his share? Everywhere they were frowned upon, and they received the smallest mess of fish at the new moon. And when they went home to their wives, they had no extra sprat for the stockpot, and none for the man in the petticoat. Some of them decided, by the help of their wives, that this was a foolish policy. It was better to please the fishermen, whose hearts were really in the right place, and secure the extra sprats, than to go on dreaming of a different world, a world maybe where if they tried to fish for themselves their bellies would often be empty, and no one to thank.

A few of them, however, had fiery wives, who reviled the fishermen and their own husbands, and said: "Is that all you get for cutting bait? Why don't you fish yourself, and you as clever as the world? What is a little rubbish such as that for the like of yourself, a big, strapping man that could eat it in one mouthful? Go back now and make known your wishes, aye, and take hold of a rod yourself and split any man's skull who will stop you. The sprats are growing smaller with every hour, and my heart is broken trying to stay the children. What kind of men are you at all, to let those fat greedyguts take away all the great, fine fish, and bringing home a few brickeens the like of these, and half of them rotten? If it was myself was talking to them, I'd give them my mind, and well they'd remember it. I'd lay hold of their tackle, and they could strip me to the skin before they'd tear me away. Are my children to starve for the like of those cormorants, and my bones to be worn through my flesh, trying to satisfy our crying needs?"

With these words burning in their ears, the discontented slaves plodded back to work, and cut bait with bitter scorn. And over them was put a sturdy fellow, no grandee at all but a slave himself, who had cut bait mightily and was rewarded with "power."

Why don't you do like myself?" he cried, large with his own sort of pride. "Let you cut bait with fidelity and care, and soon you'll be going around like myself, no slave at all but a Free Man, with a little pool of your own, maybe, and the right to catch sprats after working-hours."

One or two of them took his words to heart. And