Douglas Adams also co-wrote a book with a zoologist called Mark Carwardine
called 'Last Chance To See'.
It was the story of their travels to find out about some endangered species
around the world. It is a fantastic book, and he manages to bring tears of
laughter in one paragraph, only to break your heart in the next.
In the last chapter he tells a story which he heard many years before, and
which he says he finally understood after a year of exploring some of the
endangered environments of the world. He tells it in his own style, and I've
copied it out below, it's worth the read - and sorry about any typos.
'It concerns an ancient city - it doesn't matter where it was or what it was
called - it was a thriving, prosperous city set in the middle of a large
plain. One summer, while the people of the city were busy thriving and
prospering away, a strange old beggar woman arrived at the gates carrying
twelve large books, which she offered to sell to them. She said that the
books contained all the knowledge and all the wisdom of the world, and that
she would let the city have all twelve of them in return for a single sack
of gold.
The people of the city thought that this was a very funny idea. They said
that she obviously had no conception of the value of gold and that probably
the best thing was for her to go away again.
This she agreed to do, but first, she said, she was going to destroy half
the books in front of them. She built a small bonfire, burnt six of the
books of all knowledge and all wisdom in the sight of the people of the city
and then went on her way.
Winter came and went, a hard winter, but the city just about managed to
flourish through it and then the following summer the old woman was back.
"Oh you again," said the people of the city. "How's the knowledge and wisdom
going?"
"Six books," she said, "just six left. Half of all the knowledge and wisdom
in the world. Once again I am offering to sell them to you."
"Oh yes?" sniggered the people of the city.
"Only the price has changed"
"Not surprised."
"Two sacks of gold."
"What?"
"Two sacks of gold for the six remaining books of knowledge and wisdom. Take
it or leave it."
"It seems to us," said the people of the city, "that you can't be very wise
or knowledgeable yourself or you would realise that you can't go around
quadrupling an already outrageous price in a buyer's market. If that's the
sort of knowledge and wisdom you're peddling then, frankly you can keep it
at any price."
"Do you want them or not?"
"No."
"Very well. I will trouble you for some firewood."
She built another bonfire, and burnt three of the remaining books in front
of them and set off back across the plain.
That night, one or two curious people sneaked out and sifted through the
embers to see if they could salvage a page or two, but the fire had burnt
very thoroughly and the old woman had raked the ashes. There was nothing.
Another hard winter took it's toll on the city and they had a little trouble
with famine and desease, but trade was good and they were in reasonably good
shape again by the following summer when, once again, the old woman
appeared.
"You're early this year," they said to her.
"Less to carry," she explained, showing them the three books she was still
carrying. "A quarter of all the knowledge and wisdom in the world. Do you
want it?"
"What's the price?"
"Four sacks of gold."
"You're completely mad old woman. Apart from anything else our economy's
going through a bit of a sticky patch at the moment. Sack of gold are
completely out of the question."
"Firewood please."
"Now wait a minute," said the people of the city, "this isn't doing anybody
any good. We've been thinking about all of this, and we've put together a
small comittee to have a look at these books of yours. Let us evaluate them
for a few months, see if they're worth anything to us, and when you come
back next year perhaps we can put in some kind of a reasonable offer. We are
not talking sacks of gold here though."
The old woman shook her head. "No," she said. "Bring me the firewood."
"It'll cost you."
"No matter," said the woman, with a shrug. "The books will burn quite well
by themselves."
So saying, she set about shredding two of the books which then burnt easily.
She set off swiftly across the plain and left the people to face another
year.
She was back in the late spring.
"Just the one left," she said, putting it down on the ground in front of
her. "So I was able to bring my own firewood."
"How much," said the people of the city.
"Sixteen sacks of gold."
"We'd only budgeted for eight."
"Take it or leave it."
"Wait here."
The people of the city went off into a huddle and returned half an hour
later.
"Sixteen sacks of gold is all we have left," they pleaded. "Times are hard.
You must leave us with something."
The old woman just hummed to herself as she started to pile the kindling
together.
"All right!" they cried at last, opened up the gates of the city and led out
two oxcarts, each laden with eight sacks of gold, "But it had better be
good."
"Thank you," said the old woman, "it is. And you should have seen the rest
of it."
She led the two oxcarts away across the plain with her, and left the people
of the city to survive as best they could with the one remaining twelfth of
all the knowledge and wisdom that had been in the world.'
Martin. In London.
Hell said..
> Yes, Douglas Adams is correct. I was shocked to hear of his death - I was
> really hoping to see a few more books from him. For the record, there are
5
> books in the "Hitchhiker" series, the fifth one (Mostly Harmless)
> sub-titled: "The fifth book in the increasingly inaccurately named Hitch
> Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy".
> If you liked this series, you should also check out "Dirk Gently's
Holistic
> Detective Agency" and "The Long, Dark Tea-time Of The Soul". Hilarious.
