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There once was a kingdom called Nede. In that kingdom lay a field at the base of a mountain shared by two farmers, Labour and Toil. Now like any farmer these two were about the business of tending crops. For generations their two families prospered in this field and got right along. Now some readers might think the families might get to bickering over the land when unfavourable crop seasons come. Well perhaps some unfortunate readers come from such a miserable land, but in Nede there are no such unfortunate conditions at present. In fact as far back as any Nedian historian can remember no calamity has befallen its farmers. Quite frankly there is no such term for ‘drought’ in the Nedian vocabulary as some might render it. Both Labour and Toil found themselves in quite a splendid and peaceful life.
Now one morning Labour went out to tend to his field and came upon quite an odd sight. Toil was striking some sort of stick on the creek's edge that separated the two neighbours’ land. The end of this strange rod was sharp like a bear’s claw and it reflected the sun’s light like the scales of a fish at sea. Labour rushed over to inquire of Toil what exactly he was attempting to do. What remains of that ancient dialogue appears as this…
Toil: “I will make it so that the water of the creek would come to be with the crops.”
Labour: “What need have you of that?”
Toil: “So that when the rain does not come, the crops will still find water.”
Labour “But the rain always comes. The King himself has promised that if we farmers simply plant the seed, the rain will come.”
Toil: “Well yes the King did promise that, but you see one of the King’s own guards came by in the night dressed in cloak and gave me this ‘tool’. He showed me an unwinded scroll commanding all farmers to ‘irrigate’ their land for a coming season of no rain.”
Labour: “Oh Toil, I would not believe this future unless the King himself brought the news or sent a message with his seal of truth. I will trust the King that the rain will come. The purpose of our work has always been to serve the King and to trust Him rather than worry about what our fields actually produce. For after all the King himself could provide all the food we would ever need from his boundless stores.”
Toil: “Well then you will perish a hopeful fool. Now go tarry along waiting for rain. I must get busy attending to my field or else I will starve.”
Now Labour did not leave him alone as he wished, for Toil was his dear friend. He insisted further that Toil should trust the King and they quarrelled for many hours. But Toil’s heart was hardened and he would have none of it. He cursed Labour and his friend finally left him to his own desires. For an entire fortnight Toil laboured until his entire field had access to the waters. Labour watched Toil from his field and had pity on him. And for another fortnight rain did not come. Toil was proud of his work and looked down upon Labour. He held labour in contempt and thought him a fool. But Labour weeped for his friend’s faithlessness and remained at peace in the King’s promise that rain would come.
And the rain did come. One month after the cloaked figure first appeared to Toil the rain started. At first Toil was indifferent. He thought that either rain or no rain his crops still had water. He thought that Labour might have gotten lucky with the rain, but in the end it didn’t really matter. Perhaps next time the rain wouldn’t come and he would have the field already prepared for that reality. Toil really was only upset in the fact that Labour was able to think himself in the right.
But the rain did not stop. The skies opened and the downpour was like none that had ever been before. The ground was heavily saturated and puddles formed among the crops. Toil looked at his crops and laughed at the extent of water this season. But his laughter stopped when he looked towards the mountain. A wall of water was rushing towards the field from upstream. Normally the increased water from the rain would be carried away in the normal path of the creek, but when the water found the inlets to Toil’s field the water came up upon his field. The channels collapsed and the water uprooted the crops and washed everything Toil had planted away.
Toil could not believe what had happened and shame came over him. He ran and hid in his house wishing to see no one. But Labour, fearful for his own land’s safety ran to the city and sought the help of the King. The King sent his soldiers to the field and they restored the creek to its original flow. They found Toil hiding in his house alone and in a resistive state. The soldiers carried him away and brought him before the King. Already before the King was the cloaked King’s guard who had appeared to Toil. His body was bound and his mouth gagged. Labour stood beside the King. Toil’s body was dragged in front of the King and put at His feet. Fear came upon Toil and he could not bring himself to look the King in the eye. What is worth accounting of Toil’s vain testimony to the King is recorded below.
The King: “What is this that you have done”
Toil: “It was this man bound before you, not I. He lied to me that there would be no rain and that you had commanded a reordering of the field. This fool Labour sat around and waited for the clouds. I put myself to the right work of protecting my field. After all, how would I know that you King would stand by your promise that rain would come?”
The King: “You wicked servant. Had you trusted my promises and been obedient you would have continued to prosper in the land. Yet you looked on me as a liar and trusted the true liar. What you have been given will be taken away and given to Labour. Now guards take this man and cast him into the dungeon.”
Toil was silenced, carried away and never saw the light again. The last words that his ears would ever hear were told to another. To Labour, the King smiled and said “Labour, my good and faithful servant…” At this the door was finally shut on Toil leaving him in darkness as he weeped and grinded his teeth in bitterness.
Jacob Banta is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2024. He is studying civil engineering and political science at the University of Louisville.