"Though it's true that losers in this competition are required to assume for life the less desirable duties that our civilization imposes, I assure you that isn't as bad as it sounds. I was pretty far down the list in my day, yet I only have to be Governor....
"So won't you please apply? I want a lot of competition!"
The stage darkened, and the puppet got up and walked to its box. Before the lights could go up on the next program, Les switched the set off.
"What do you think?" he asked Janet.
"I don't know," she said. "Nobody in my family has ever worked."
"Mine, either. But I once knew a fellow who'd tried for a job. He seemed o.k. to me, but he sure didn't get a good one! Had a clerical position, with business machines, and their output was geared down to spread the work. So he didn't have enough to do ... just stacked punched cards or something every day for eighty years!"
"Oh, you'd do better than that, dear!"
"Maybe. Point is, there are jobs worse than no job at all!"
"I'm not so sure!" Janet said, suddenly determined. "Only a few minutes ago you weren't very happy about the idle days ahead. Why not take a chance?"