What message do we get from this story?

Question

IN the beginning, when the world was new and the Animals were just

beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and he lived in the

middle of a Howling Desert because he did not want to work. He ate

sticks and thorns and prickles, and when anybody spoke to him he

said “Humph!” Just “Humph!” and no more.

Presently the Horse came to

him on Monday morning, with a

saddle on his back and said,

“Camel, O Camel, come out and

trot like the rest of us.”

“Humph!” said the Camel, and

the Horse went away and told the

Man.

Presently the Dog came to him,

with a stick in his mouth, and said,

“Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us.”

“Humph!” said the Camel, and the Dog went away and told

the Man.

Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his neck, and

said, “Camel, O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us.”

“Humph!” said the Camel, and the Ox went away and told

the Man.

At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and

the Ox together, and said, “Three, O Three, I’m very sorry for you;“Djinn of All Deserts,” said the Horse, “is it right for anyone

to be idle?”

“Certainly not,” said the Djinn.

“Well,” said the Horse, “there’s a thing in the middle of your

Desert with a long neck and long legs, and he hasn’t done a stroke

of work since Monday morning. He won’t trot.”

“Whew!” said the Djinn whistling, “that’s my Camel. What does

he say about it?”

“He says ‘Humph!’, and he won’t plough,” said the Ox.

“Very good,” said the Djinn. “I’ll humph him if you will kindly

wait a minute.”The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and took a walk

across the Desert, and found the Camel looking at his own reflection

in a pool of water.

“My friend,” said the Djinn, “what’s this I hear of your doing

no work?”

The Djinn sat down, with his chin in his hand, while the Camel

looked at his own reflection in the pool of water.

“You’ve given the Three extra work ever since Monday morning,

all on account of your idleness,” said the Djinn. And he went on

thinking with his chin in his hand.“Humph!” said the Camel.

“I shouldn’t say that again if I were you,” said the Djinn; “you

might say it once too often. I want you to work.”

And the Camel said “Humph!” again; but no sooner had he said

it than he saw his back, that he was so proud of, puffing up and

puffing up into a great big hump.

“Do you see that?” said the Djinn. ‘‘That’s your very own humph

that you’ve brought upon your very own self by not working. Today

is Thursday, and you’ve done no work since Monday, when the

work began. Now you are going to work.”

“How can I,” said the Camel, “with this humph on my back?”

‘‘That has a purpose,” said the Djinn, “all because you missed

those three days. You will be able to work now for three days without

eating, because you can live on your humph; and don’t you ever

say I never did anything for you. Come out of the Desert and go to

the Three, and behave.”

And the Camel went away to join the Three. And from that day

to this the Camel always wears a humph (we call it ‘hump’ now, not

to hurt his feelings); but he has never yet caught up with the three

days that he missed at the beginning of the world, and he has

never yet learned how to behave.

Answer 1

Perform your allotted task while it is yet day; for the night cometh when no man can work.

Answer 2

This sounds like a poorly-crafted creation myth with a little bit of parental advice thrown into it to make sure that kids do the work expected of them uncomplainingly.