Saturday, July 09, 2011
A Poem
A poem by Swedish author August Strindberg 1849 - 1912
- What did you say to the man over there?
- I said that he should work faster.
- What right have you to command him?
- I pay him.
- How much do you pay him?
- 10 kronor a day.
- Where do you get money to pay him?
- I sell stone.
- Who cuts the stone that you sell?
- He does.
- How much does he cut a day?
- Oh, he cuts a lot of stone in a day.
- How much do you get for it?
- About 50 kronor.
- But then it is he who pays you 40 kronor for you to go around and command him to work faster.
- Yes, but I own the tools and machines.
- How did you become the owner of them?
- I sold carved stone and got enough money to buy the tools and machinery.
- Who carved that stone?
- Shut up, fool!
- What did you say to the man over there?
- I said that he should work faster.
- What right have you to command him?
- I pay him.
- How much do you pay him?
- 10 kronor a day.
- Where do you get money to pay him?
- I sell stone.
- Who cuts the stone that you sell?
- He does.
- How much does he cut a day?
- Oh, he cuts a lot of stone in a day.
- How much do you get for it?
- About 50 kronor.
- But then it is he who pays you 40 kronor for you to go around and command him to work faster.
- Yes, but I own the tools and machines.
- How did you become the owner of them?
- I sold carved stone and got enough money to buy the tools and machinery.
- Who carved that stone?
- Shut up, fool!
# posted by Lysistrate @ 7/09/2011 05:22:00 PM
I showed that poem to a person here.
He said
"Yes, of course. That is the way it should be".
I said
"Shut up fool!"
@ furtherleft. Must have been an American. Most other people would understand the injustice that Strindberg pointed out with such irony.
