Soon this method had no effect.
The water continued to rise.
The people were beginning to suspect,
This is not where the solution lies. The great man saw this method would fail
But he knew he must not quit.
Again he trekked the turbid trail
To this problem he did commit. Then the great man saw a lone man dig
A trench in which the water would drop.
He dug it deep and he dug it big.
Perhaps, in this trench, the water would stop! He thought of the people, as his duty required
To give them this instruction.
By this site he was again inspired
To save the town from destruction. “We must dig a great ditch
In which the water will drop.
Into this we all must pitch
If the water we are to stop! A solution to this we must seek.
Look to me in your time of need.
Though the situation may now look bleak,
We will succeed with my lead!” Upon his shoulder, he felt a hand.
It was, in fact, the odd man.
The great man, at first, did not understand.
Then the freak thus began,
“You may be great and the people strong,
But this won’t stop the water’s force.
This will not work for very long.
We must stop it at the source.” The great man let out a great big laugh,
And to the odd man he talked down.
“You think you can speak on the people’s behalf?
A great man must save this town!”
“We all share the same concern.
Your offer I do appreciate,
However, to experience, we must now turn.
This issue is too great.” As the great man continued to give his speech
The freak had turned and walked away.
A solution soon someone must reach
No matter what the great man would say. Soon the town will certainly be
Just a huge pool of mud.
It is not really hard to see
That nothing is stopping this great flood. His mind was cloudy and his feet were muddy.
While the great man talked and talked,
The freak used this time to think and study,
So in search of the source he walked. The freak followed the water alone.
Deep into the woods he was led.
There he found a slab of stone.
On the stone it read,
“In the event of a flood
This lesson should be learned
Unless you like to live in mud,
The valve must be turned.” Below these words there was an arrow
And it was pointing to the creek.
The creek had begun to overflow.
This was, no doubt, the source of the leak. The freak was indeed happy to learn
How the flood had been produced.
He found the valve and gave it a turn.
And the water immediately was reduced. He went back up the muddy trail
And told the people what he had done.
But no one would believe his tale,
Not a single, solitary one. Afraid of being deceived,
The people showed only doubt,
“Why should he be believed?
What is he all about?” Skepticism and emotion
Were sparked by the freak’s word.
His story caused quite a commotion,
And the great man, of course, overheard.
He said, “I will solve this dispute.
Whatever the problem, there must be a plan.
Of the truth, we are in pursuit.
A great problem requires a great man!”
“I’d like a word, please come with me,”
To the freak the great man said.
The freak complied with his plea.
To the great man’s office he was led. Once in his office, he closed the door.
He could not wait to ask,
“What did you do, I want to hear more,
About how you pursued this task.” As the freak began to describe
The valve at the creek and slab of stone.
The great man was not willing to subscribe
To this story by a man who lives alone. The great man was in disbelief.
He began to give the freak a speech.
His talk was not short, nor was it brief.
To the freak, a lesson he would teach. He told the freak about being great,
And that by his word he would rule.
Being a master at debate,
He made the freak look like a fool. From the office the freak went,
Stuck on the words the great man had said.
He walked the path back home in resent,
As the great man’s voice he heard in his head. It’s obvious that the town is his.
He could hear the people as he walked through.
“Who in the world does he think he is?
He thinks he is a great man too!”
The farther he walked the angrier he became,
To think that words could outshine skill.
“Great man, bah...what a name!
I’ll show them all, I will!” Into the forest, he marched in retaliation.
He felt the need to settle the score.
He could not bear this indignation.
This town was not his home anymore. He found again the slab of stone.
He found again the valve by the creek.
Never before had he felt so alone.
Revenge now did he seek. In his anger, he turned the valve back.
The water began to overflow.
He thought, for a moment, about this attack.
Then he decided the people must know. On the way back, he felt some guilt.
His conscience was big and his mind was young.
Upon action his existence was built.
Once back in town, he held his tongue. The town again began to flood.
And the people again began to worry.
The ground again had turned to mud.
To their buckets again the people would hurry. The efforts again the great man would direct,
But an effort repeated is a lesson taught.
Soon the bucket method had no effect,
And this sent the great man into thought.