One day, Cal brought Bessie, the
singing, tap-dancing, fire-breathing, and otherwise multi-talented cow
before the Great Council.
"I want her to be made a Council Member," he said.
The Elders and the Sages debated this. "Truly, she
is an exceptional cow," they said, and made her a member of the Council.
Then Cal brought in some other cows. These were
not multitalented.
The Sages and Elders protested.
"But look," said Cal, "they can write!" And he put
a piece of chalk in a cow's mouth and it scrawled...something on a slate.
The Elders and Sages were troubled. They asked wise
Palaskar for help.
"My lord," they asked, "do cows truly write?"
"Of course they write," he replied. "Now go away."
So the cows became Councilors.
Then Cal brought in some patches of grass. These,
too, he wanted to be Council Members.
"They talk," he said.
The Sages and Elders were very troubled. They asked
wise Palaskar again for help.
"My lord," they asked, "does grass talk?"
"Of course it talks," he said absently. "Now go
away."
So the grasses became Councilors.
Finally, Cal brought in some rocks. He wanted them
to be Councilors too.
"They think," he insisted.
The Elders and Sages were nigh well troubled. They
went to wise Palaskar.
"My lord," they asked, "do rocks think?"
"Of course they think!" he replied, irritated. "Now
go away!"
And of course, with the Council largley consisting
of cows, grasses, and rocks, nothing happened.
They Sages and Elders were vexed. They went to Palaskar.
"How can what you said have been the truth?" they
asked. "The Council lies silent, nothing is accomplished!"
Palaskar explained. "The cows wrote as much as you
could see. The grasses talked as much as you could hear. The rocks thought
as much as you could understand. Now, please, go."
The Elders and Sages were still vexed.
They came upon Cal in the Chamber of the Council,
happily conversing with the cows and the grasses and the rocks.
"How could you do such a thing to us?" they asked.
Cal was surprised. "Why? What is wrong? You are
the on