The man had never believed in mere utility. Having had no useful work, he indulged in mad whims. He made little pieces of sculptures, men, women and castles and he painted. Thus he wasted his time on all that was useless and needless. People laughed at him. He spent his earthlife in useless work and yet after death, the gates of heaven opened wide for him and he was sent to the Workers Paradise.
But this newcomer did not fit well with the scheme of things in Workers Paradise. He lounged in the streets absently and jostled the hurrying men. He lay in the green meadows or close to the fast flowing stream. A girl went hustling-bustling everyday to a silent torrent (silent since in the Workers Paradise even a torrent wouldn't waste its energy singing), to fill her pitchers.
"A - Ha" she cried with concern. "You have no work in hand, Have you?"
The man sighed "Work! I've not a moment to spare for work."
The girl did not understand his words and said "I shall spare some work for you to do, if you like." She further said "What kind of work would you like?"
"Would you give me one of your pitchers, one that you can spare?"
"A pitcher? You want to draw water from the torrent?"
"No. I shall draw pictures on your pitcher."
The girl was annoyed. "A picture indeed! I have no time to waste on such as you. I'm going." And she walked away.
But everyday they met and everyday he said the same thing to her. She yielded at last. She gave him one of her pitchers. The man started painting. When he had completed his work, the girl held up the pitcher and stared at its sides, her eyes puzzled.
Brows drawn, she asked "What do they mean, all those lines and colors?"
The man laughed "Nothing. A picture may have no meaning and serve no purpose."
At home, away from prying eyes, she held it in the light, turned it round and round and scanned the painting from all angles. At night she lighted a candle and scanned it again in silence. For the first time in her life she had seen something that had no meaning and no purpose at all. She saw the painter standing by the torrent and asked him in confusion,
"What do you want of me?"
"Only some more work from your hands."
"What kind of work would you like?"
"Let me make a colored ribbon for your hair."
"And what for?"
"Nothing."
Ribbons were made, bright with colors. The busy girl of Workers Paradise had now to spend a lot of time everyday tying the colored ribbon around her hair. Much work was left unfinished. In Workers Paradise, work of late had began to suffer. Many people who had been active earlier were idle now, wasting their precious time on useless things like paintings and sculptures. The elders became anxious. A meeting was called. The aerial messenger also hurried in, bowed before the elders and made a confession.
"I brought a wrong man in this paradise. It is all due to him."
The man was summoned. Stifled the president said
"This is no place for the kind of you. You must leave."
The man sighed in relief and gathered up his brush and paints. But as he was about to go, the girl of the silent torrent came up tripping and cried
"Wait a moment! I shall come with you."
But this newcomer did not fit well with the scheme of things in Workers Paradise. He lounged in the streets absently and jostled the hurrying men. He lay in the green meadows or close to the fast flowing stream. A girl went hustling-bustling everyday to a silent torrent (silent since in the Workers Paradise even a torrent wouldn't waste its energy singing), to fill her pitchers.
"A - Ha" she cried with concern. "You have no work in hand, Have you?"
The man sighed "Work! I've not a moment to spare for work."
The girl did not understand his words and said "I shall spare some work for you to do, if you like." She further said "What kind of work would you like?"
"Would you give me one of your pitchers, one that you can spare?"
"A pitcher? You want to draw water from the torrent?"
"No. I shall draw pictures on your pitcher."
The girl was annoyed. "A picture indeed! I have no time to waste on such as you. I'm going." And she walked away.
But everyday they met and everyday he said the same thing to her. She yielded at last. She gave him one of her pitchers. The man started painting. When he had completed his work, the girl held up the pitcher and stared at its sides, her eyes puzzled.
Brows drawn, she asked "What do they mean, all those lines and colors?"
The man laughed "Nothing. A picture may have no meaning and serve no purpose."
At home, away from prying eyes, she held it in the light, turned it round and round and scanned the painting from all angles. At night she lighted a candle and scanned it again in silence. For the first time in her life she had seen something that had no meaning and no purpose at all. She saw the painter standing by the torrent and asked him in confusion,
"What do you want of me?"
"Only some more work from your hands."
"What kind of work would you like?"
"Let me make a colored ribbon for your hair."
"And what for?"
"Nothing."
Ribbons were made, bright with colors. The busy girl of Workers Paradise had now to spend a lot of time everyday tying the colored ribbon around her hair. Much work was left unfinished. In Workers Paradise, work of late had began to suffer. Many people who had been active earlier were idle now, wasting their precious time on useless things like paintings and sculptures. The elders became anxious. A meeting was called. The aerial messenger also hurried in, bowed before the elders and made a confession.
"I brought a wrong man in this paradise. It is all due to him."
The man was summoned. Stifled the president said
"This is no place for the kind of you. You must leave."
The man sighed in relief and gathered up his brush and paints. But as he was about to go, the girl of the silent torrent came up tripping and cried
"Wait a moment! I shall come with you."
8 comments:
Thanks for the story. Was searching it.
You are welcome ...
Is that it?? I think there was more - a council and such..
:). It took me some time to dig this out. I had only this much. Not sure if I missed some of the story.
Naren
This is the whole of the story. We had it in class 11 English text book.
The 'abrupt' stop is deliberate and meaningful.
Excellent Story
I am literally living this story. I was a workaholic a few days ago and now the work is piled high. Ever since she knocked the door of my workshop, I,ve been indulging in wasteful activities like poetry......
its slightly longer. here's link to the full version: http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/17th-january-1931/12/a-wrong-man-in-workers-paradise
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