The Three Chiefs

"Let us dehumanize ourselves,"

Said the one chief to the other.

"The more rules we make up, the better.

The more layers of interference and

Indirection between one man and another

Man, or between a man and his goal, the better."

The other chief was delighted.

"That's just grand," he replied.

"The thought of it is so intoxicating."

A third chief came along, and

Volunteered his minions for help with

The task. The second

Squealed with delight.

Pretty soon, with diligent application

Of their newly developed principles

Of dehumanization, they had more

Or less succeeded in dehumanizing

The entire world and all its race

Of men, til none knew any

Longer what it meant to be

Human, and all went on thinking

Everything was natural.

The three chiefs sat back on

Top of the cliff above the

Sea, and surveyed in their

Mind's eye their success with

Complacent satisfaction. As if on

Cue, they all three at once

And suddenly let out a collective

Sigh. It carried softly away on the

Wings of the sea below.

At length the first chief spoke.

"Our work is done. Le us go home."

The second approved enthusiastically;

The third nodded gravely.

And so they went their separate

Ways, each to his home, and

That night slept more soundly

Than ever before in their lives.

Copyright © 2005 Vlad Beffa