1. And behold, he spake unto them a parable saying: There lived in the
land a man who lived in a house surrounded by greensward. Although he was
advanced in years he tended his lawns with care and in clement weather sat
out thereon upon a bench, admiring the view of distant hills.
2. And behold, there came a day when the man, who was becoming feeble
with age, said to himself, ‘behold, I am become feeble with age and am no
longer able to tend my greensward as was my wont in days of yore. What shall
I do that the appearance of my greensward may be preserved and that I become
not the scorn of my neighbours?’
3. And he said unto himself, “I know what I will do, I will make parley
with one of my neighbours who is a gardening contractor and has tools and
equipment of adequate capacity. I will make a bargain with him whereby he
will from time to time mow my greensward and I will pay him what is just and
according to arrangements made between us. I shall not then become a scorn
of my neighbours but retain my view of distant hills.’
4. So the man went to visit his neighbour who was a gardening contractor
and made a bargain with him that the neighbour would cut his grass as and
when it required such attention, in return for which the man would pay his
neighbour the sum of ten denarii each time the grass was cut.
5. The arrangement worked well for several years. There came a time,
however, when one day, after the grass had been cut, the man went to the
gardening contractor and said unto him, “Behold, thou hast cut my grass for
these past years and each time thou hast cut it I have paid thee the sum of
ten denarii. Nevertheless the time has come for me to reduce this emolument
by forty per-cent to the sum of six denarii only. Lo here is thy six denarii,
take it and be thankful.”
6. And he said unto his disciples, “What thinkest thou that the gardening
contractor will say to the good man of the house?” His disciples said unto
him, “he would say unto him ‘*******!!!!!***** etc. etc.’
7. He said unto them, “Ye have spoken well. So shall it be said of the
Diocese which cuts its servants’ expense rate by 40 per-cent after service
has been given and without prior notice. It shall become the scorn of men
and an outcast of the people. And he said unto them, “He who has ears to
hear, let him hear.”
W.J.G. Written on July 17th. 2002
© The Estate of William John Green, 2004
