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f sharks were people
If sharks were people', the landlady's little daughter asked Mr. Keuner, 'would they be nicer to the little fishes?' "But of course, said he. If sharks were people they would have big boxes built in the sea for little fishes to live in. Inside these habitations they would deposit all manner of nourishment-plant as well as animal matter. They would see to it that the boxes always had fresh water, and generally take all kinds of sanitary precautions. If, for instance, a little fish damaged one of its fins, it would be bandaged immediately, so that the sharks would not be deprived of i by a premature demise.
In order that the little fishes should not feel depressed, great water festivals would be held from time to time, for happy little fishes taste better than miserable ones. In the schools the little fishes would learn how to swim into the sharks jaws. They would need geography, for example, so that when the big sharks were lazing about somewhere. they could find them.
The main thing, of course, would be the moral education of the little fishes. They would be instructed that the Greatest and Finest thing for a little fish was to sacrifice itself joyfully, and that they must all believe in the sharks, especially when they promised a great future. The little fishes would be told that this future could only be assured if they learned obedience. Above all. they would have to be on their guard against all base, materialistic, egotistic and Marxist tendencies, reporting at once to the sharks if any of their number manifested such tendencies.
If sharks were people they would naturally wage war among themselves to conquer foreign fish-boxes and little foreign fishes. They would let their little fishes do the fighting for them. They would teach the foreign fishes that there was a vast difference between themselves and the little fishes of other sharks. Little fishes, they would proclaim, are well known to be dumb, but they are silent in quite different languages, and therefore cannot possibly under-
stand each other. Each little fish who killed a few enemy fishes in battle-little foreign fishes, dumb in a different language-would have a little sea-weed medal pinned on his chest, and be awarded the title of "Hero"
If sharks were people they would naturally have art. There would be exhibitions of beautiful pictures of sharks' teeth in glorious colours. The theatres on the sea bed would show heroic little fishes swimming rapturously into the sharks' jaws and would just stream forward with melodious strains of music thrilling in their ears, and blissful thoughts lulling their senses.
Why, there would Religion if sharks were
even be a people. This
would teach that little fishes only really start to live inside the bellies of sharks. Moreover, if sharks ever became people, not all the little fishes would be equal as they are now. Some of them would be given positions, set above others. Certain of the more important ones would even be permitted to gobble up little ones. This would certainly please the sharks, who would thus more often have larger morsels for themselves. The more important 'official" little fishes would be responsible for keeping order among the rest: they would become teachers, officers, fish-box constructors and the like. In short, the sea would only start being civilised if sharks were people.
Questions of a reading
worker
worker
Who was it built seven-gated In the books there are kings'
Was it the kings who lugged And oft-destroyed Babylon, Who built it up again so many In which of the houses Of gold-glittering Lima did the labourers life? On the evening the Great Wall of China was finishe Where did the bricklayers go? Great Rome Is full of triumphal arches. Who put them up? Over Did the Caesars triumph? Did fabulous Byzantium Only have palaces for people to live in? Even in legendary Atlantis On that nieht when the sea swallowed it u
Thebes?
names.
the great
The drowning men were bawling The young Alexander conquered All on his own?
Caesar smote the Gauls.
Didn't he even have a cook with Philip of Spain wept when his Ar Was sunk. Did no-one else weep Frederick the Second won the Se Won apart from him?
On every page a battle.
Who cooked the victory feast? Every ten years a great man. Who footed the bill?
for their India.
him?
mada ven
many many
reports.
questions.
slavi
Both pieces on this page Bertholt Brecht
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