Chapter XXIV
About a decade later, Fidu came running up to Gud. For a moment he was too excited to speak and could only bark, but when he again found his articulation the Underdog said: "Oh master, come quick, for there is a poor beggar sitting over there on the steps of the almshouse and holding out his hat for alms; but few give to him and he is weak and starving."
Gud followed Fidu and came to the beggar who was poor and wretched indeed. And Gud said to him: "I will not reveal my lack of intelligence by dropping coins into your hat, for I know as well as you do that indiscriminate charity does not alleviate poverty. So throw your coppers into the gutter and put your hat on your head, while we discuss the cause of your impecunity."
The beggar discarded his few coins and placed his hat on his head.
"Now," began Gud, "let us consider your situation intelligently. There is usually some relation between cause and effect. The effect in your case is poverty complicated by charity. I could destroy the effect by a miracle and make you rich, but I have tried tampering with the law of cause and effect, and I find it dangerous business. It is best to change the cause and let the law change the effect.
"Quite right you are, kind sir," agreed the beggar.
"What was the cause of your poverty?" asked Gud. "Was it indolence, or drink, or—"
"No, no," interrupted the beggar, "none of those common things. My poverty was caused by the ruin of my profession."
"What was your profession?" demanded Gud.
The beggar straightened up as proudly as he could and said: "I was a novelist!"