December 13, 2001.
 
 

                                                    SOME STORIES
 
 
 
 

Number One.

There was an island on which at one end lived a band of
fun loving, live-for-today monkeys,
and at the other, a collection of pensive, serious owls,
and even though they were different species with different languages,
and instincts, they were aware of each other’s presence,
(although the latter seemed to take more note of the former than vice versa).

Even while they inescapably shared the common bound territory in relative peace,
the everyday lives & overall attitude of the two groups could scarce be more unalike.
From the time they awoke in the morning ‘til they went back to sleep at night,
the monkeys did nothing but eat and play around,
while the owls did little more than eat and brood,
both of which styles seemed to perfectly suit their pursuers,
(although the owls, for reasons unclear,
did often appear to display disapproval of the monkeys’ way of life).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Number Two.

In one place was a pack of wild dogs,
and having no permanent leader, they took turns being transiently so,
and among them was one who faulted their condition,
and whenever he would momentarily take lead position
he would express forcefully his displeasure with the other dogs’ lack of control,
but a curious thing: he was the only one who heard himself speak.
(This eventually drove him near mad.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Number Three:

There was once a mighty elephant who was born covered with fleas;
the elephant was mute, and the fleas were not,
and they continually reported to him their perceptions of
what was going on in the pachyderm's life.
You would assume that some sort of symbiotic relationship was at work here --
but would be hard pressed to specify same precisely.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

And a reader writes: “I have a major complaint:
I really enjoy myself when I read a story that is obviously an allegory,
and am able to kinda figure it out and seem to get something from it;
whenever I do this, I really feel good about myself --  but! –
then to be immediately confronted with another story that seems to me
a contradiction somehow of the first one  --  is way too much! --
and being faced with this makes me extremely uncomfortable --  no! --
extremely irritated!  --  and I wish you wouldn’t do it --
it gets my thinking confused even worse than before.               Stop it!

                                                      Sincerely,”  etc. 
 
 

                                                                 J
 
 
 
 
 
 

Nota bene:
the story of The Ants and The Grasshopper you hear is the Ants’ version, and they neglect to tell you that
even though through their industry they did manage to live a few days longer than the insouciant singer,
they died pretty painfully from stress ulcers.
 
 

...also mark regarding the stories:  Every man is an island, and so on down the line.