Paul Boccaccio

Measures against power

[…]

And Mr. Keuner told the following story:

One day, during the period of illegality, an agent entered the apartment of Mr. Eggers, a man who had learned to say no. The agent showed a document, which was made out in the name of those who ruled the city, and which stated that any apartment in which he set foot belonged to him; likewise, any food that he demanded belonged to him; likewise, any man whom he saw, had to serve him.

The agent sat down in a chair, demanded food, washed, lay down in bed, and, before he fell asleep, asked, with his face to the wall: “Will you be my servant?”

Mr. Eggers covered the agent with a blanket, drove away the flies, watched over his sleep, and, as he had done on this day, obeyed him for seven years. But whatever he did for him, one thing Mr. Eggers was very careful not to do: that was, to say a single word. Now, when the seven years had passed and the agent had grown fat from all the eating, sleeping, and giving orders, he died. Then Mr. Eggers wrapped him in the ruined blanket, dragged him out of the house, washed the bed, whitewashed the walls, drew a deep breath and replied: “No.”

The question of whether there is a God

A man asked Mr. K. whether there is a God. Mr. K. said: “I advise you to consider whether, depending on the answer, your behavior would change. If it would not change, then we can drop the question. If it would change, then I can at least be of help to the extent that I can say, you have already decided: you need a God.”

Good turns

As an example of the right and proper way to do friends a good turn, Mr. K. related the following story. “Three young people came to an old Arab and told him: ‘Our father has died. He left us seventeen camels and stated in his will that the oldest son should get half, the second a third, and the youngest a ninth of the camels. Now we cannot agree on the division; please make the decision for us!’ The Arab thought for a while and said: ‘As I see it, in order to share out the camels properly, you are one short. I myself have only a single camel, but I put it at your disposal. Take it and then divide up the camels, and only bring me what is left over.’ They expressed their thanks for this good office, took the camel away, and then divided up the eighteen camels, so that the oldest got half—that is, nine—the second a third—that is, six—and the youngest a ninth—that is, two camels. To their astonishment, when they had led their own camels aside there was one camel left over. This one they brought back, with renewed thanks, to their old friend.”

[An aristocratic stance]

Mr. Keuner said: “I, too, once adopted an aristocratic stance (you know: erect, upright, and proud, head thrown back). I was standing in rising water at the time. I adopted this stance when it rose to my chin.”

—Bertolt Brecht, Stories of Mr. Keuner, via Monoskop