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THE CHAIR MAKERS (a short fable)

Once upon a time there was a happy village.It was set in a peaceful valley, far from most big cities. In this village about everybody made chairs.Some made metal modern chairs.Some made chairs of plastic.Some made modern chairs of mixed metal and plastic.Others made only fancy chairs of the most exotic woods. These were of elegant style with curves and intricate carving. Yet others made plain chairs whose simple forms had a grace of a different type.Even primitive looking chairs were made of sticks and logs. About every type chair you could think of was found here.

All the chair makers took pride in their work and this showed in their workmanship.All the chairs were strong. Each chair maker was content making their chairs and never spoke badly of the other types of chairs. All realized their chairs were not any better than the others, just different. Indeed they often traded tips on how to make chairs stronger. You see, they understood their community's reputation depended on a good chair no matter the type or style.

People who visited this town smiled.For everybody was industrious in making their chairs and tolerant of other chair styles. So some people would visit often. Some liked the atmosphere of the community so much they decided to stay. Those who did this were always welcomed and patiently taught the art of chair making. Then they were left to make whatever type chair they wanted.

thus this little village in the great big world prospered and its reputation grew.

Then one day False Pride came into town.He saw all the chair stores and happy people and thought "I can do this even better." So he decided to stay. He was welcomed as were all arrivals and helped in setting up shop. He already knew how to build one type chair which he considered to be the only real type chair worth building.

This was OK with the others for there was room for all types chairs here. But this new arrival was not satisfied with being the only one making his kind of chair. He soon started touting his type chair as being the best of all possible chairs. Some ignored him and went about their business. Some frowned and muttered that their chairs were also good.

False Pride just kept on insisting his were the only true chairs and started trying to convince others to make only his type chair. Some wearied of hearing him and just left, leaving empty, sad shops behind. Some even tried to make False Pride's type of chair, but they were never made to his satisfaction. Others began to argue that their chairs were the best. Discord had arrived in the village. Soon the chair makers were spending more time arguing than making chairs. Even when they did make chairs, their minds were on the words others had said and not their work. Thus the quality of their work went down. Yet more folk grew tired of the arguing and left. This resulted in even more empty, sad shops. Even worse, almost nobody smiled anymore.

When people drove through town now they saw many sad empty shops. They saw frowning unhappy people.Nobody wanted to visit such a place anymore, much less stay.

Eventually the only ones left in this community were False Pride and his frustrated acolytes.No matter how hard they tried, they could never make his type of chair to his satisfaction.

Until at last everybody gave up and left. Only False Pride remained making only a few of his one type chair. Even he was sullen for he was never able to understand why he was alone.

Nobody ever even goes there anymore.Why would anyone want to go to such an empty village filled with so many sad empty shops ? And only one muttering sad chair maker.

...............Let not your village be ruined by False Pride...................

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Comments

I wrote this in hopes of it being read and lowering the volume of arguing here. I guess we'll see.................stan

author comment

A tale of two poets or musical chairs?

wink.

~A

Reminds me of my take on the same subject... sort of.

A Tale Retold 12/18/07

Once upon a time there was a town,
the town was just like the one in which
you live, except instead of people, pots and
kettles of all sorts and shapes carry on
the business of being kettles and pots.

No one knows which came first, the pots
or the kettles, suffice it to say they each arrived
just about the same time to lay claim to the land
of kettles and pots.

Dare I say there is always trouble brewing just below
the surface... and the land of pots and kettles was no
exception in this matter, and thus it was passed down
to generations of pots the business of calling the kettle black.

where ever more than 3 people gather someone will disagree with something lol..............scribbler

author comment

in the forums and blogs. I agree it is sad to see it spilling into the Stream, like this.

And those arguments are crucial to the future development of Neopoet.

Did you have anyone in particular in mind as "False Pride"? I've seen very little critical feedback, but what I have seen has been very good, not didactically trying to control or change a poets poem, just suggestions for improvement.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

No this was not aimed at a particular individual. It was meant as a reminder to all on site that there is room here for all levels and types of both poetry and critique, with a reminder that losing focus on producing poetry can lead to an ugliness that can drive away both existing members( I know of at least one, and if I know of one there are probably others) and visitors who could become members.

author comment

should fuck off.

As I said, all the criitique I have seen is positive, constructive and kind.

Nobody is trying to make everyone make the same chairs.

Your parable was wrong and offensive,

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

It was never my intent to single anybody out or to offend anybody. I apologize if i have offended you . I have also seen none but respectful critique on new site. This fable was merely intended to get everybody back to writing and helping one another instead of blogging and worrying about others' comments on others' poems. I guess I'd best stick to poetry as I can see I'm not much at fables lol.............scribbler

author comment

I know your intentions are compassionate and of the best.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

You repeat the *I know of at least one*.... As far as I'm concerned if dialogue that is construed as *argument or dissension* is his/her cause, then you might consider that some of us are considering leaving for the lack of honest feedback and critique.

We're not here to play footsies under the table in private messages or to have a fan club shouting our names with brilliant! great! wonderful! beautiful! perfect! superb! magnificent!

Thank you but no thanks.

~A

Are you really so intolerant of others' methods that you will brook no variation to your perception of what is right and wrong ? ........stan

author comment

You don't get it yet, do you Scribbler?

My perception already includes all sense of right and wrong, including mine, yours and all the almost 6.9 billion souls on earth. It is the way of the world. It is what already is.

However, I'm all about expanding our singular/limited sense of right and wrong to be inclusive not exclusive, to not create division and to be able to give and take without the usual and customary *fight or flight* mechanism that is the human in *survival mode*.

We are and we are capable of so much more. I try to raise the community standards, not lower them with adding my personal lowest common denominator, as it were.

~A

2chair makers declaring our method of building chairs is the only way lol. I guess we can agree that our ideas vary and neither of us is going to change the other( would we really want to?) So lets get back to building our own chairs in the manner we each like best, for it's the chairs that matter not the method. My best to you................scribbler

author comment

but the only way to lower the amount of arguing...
...is to stop arguing.

lol

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

is right. It appears this has had the exact reverse of my intention..............................stan

author comment

Lol. Isn't that the truth, Stan? You know that saying.... the world is paved with good intentions often enough.

The good thing is if our intentions return us to the road less traveled... Honesty and fairness, truth and kindness.

~A

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