In the desert, fruit was scarce. God called one of his prophets and said:
- Each person may only eat one fruit a day.
The custom was obeyed for many generations, and the ecology of the
place was preserved. Since the remaining fruit supplied seeds, other
trees appeared. Soon, the entire region was turned into fertile soil,
which was the envy of other towns.
But the people continued to
eat one fruit a day - they remained faithful to what the ancient
prophet of their forefathers had told them. However they never allowed
the inhabitants of other villages to take advantage of the abundant
harvest with which they were rewarded each year.
The result was that fruit rotted on the ground. God called a new prophet and said:
- Let them eat as much fruit as they like. And ask them to share the abundance with their neighbors.
The prophet came to the town with the new message. But he was stoned -
for by now the custom was ingrained in the hearts and minds of each of
the inhabitants.
With time, the younger villagers began to
question the barbaric old custom. But, since the tradition of the
elders was unbending, they decided to abandon the religion. Thus, they
could eat as much fruit as they wished, and give the rest to those in
need of food.
The only people who remained faithful to the
local church, were those who considered themselves saints. But in truth
they were unable to see how the world changes, and recognize how one
must change with it.
