A Bed Time Story

By Mark Deavall - October 10, 2017 - but still applicable

Once upon a time there were three little pigs called Worker, Shirker and Lurker. The three of them lived in a prosperous little village called Gogeddit.

One day a rumour spread through the village that a big bad wolf was on his way to the village with a campaign called “Pillage the Village”. Everyone in the village became fearful and looked for ways to stop the big bad wolf from taking their possessions. They thought of building a high wall, but decided that would take too long. Then they thought of calling the Kings army, but they were too far away. Someone suggested they should choose the strongest man in the village and challenge the wolf to a fight. But when they looked around they realised that no one was strong enough to beat the wolf.

Then Worker came up with a suggestion. “All our houses are made of straw and that is nowhere near strong enough to resist the wolf. So let’s all build our houses out of bricks and concrete. He’ll never be able to get to us then.” Shirker toed the ground with his hoof and said that he would help worker. Lurker said that he didn’t know how to build with brick so he would watch Worker and Shirker so that he could learn.

And so Worker set about building his house out of brick and mortar with a very strong steel door. When he asked Shirker to do something to help build the house, he always found a reason why he could not help at that time, generally he was “too busy”. When Worker looked for Lurker to help, he was generally seen just disappearing around a convenient corner.

Worker’s house came along very nicely and soon was the talk of the village. The mayor was so impressed that he wanted to give worker a medal. But Shirker and Lurker protested saying that they were also part of the team and therefore should also receive medals. So the mayor, in an effort to be seen to be fair, decided that no one would get medals. So Worker finished his house and moved all his possessions from his straw house into his brick house.

And so the day came when the big bad wolf arrived in the village and demanded everyone’s possessions. At first the villagers tried to hide their stuff, but the wolf's nose soon sniffed them out. Some of them ran into the forest with their possessions but the wolf was much faster, and he caught them and ate them.

Lurker grabbed all his possessions, which were many, and ran to Shirker's house. The two of them sat trembling as they heard the wolf rip Lurker's house to pieces looking for his possessions. Then the wolf turned his attention to Shirker's house and the two pigs bolted for Worker's house. They beat on the door shouting “let us in! Let us in!” But Worker said, “you weren’t here to help me build this house, so why should I share it with you?” “Because if you don’t the big bad wolf will eat us” they cried. “That’s not my problem” said worker. “You should have built strong houses when you had the chance.”

Meanwhile, the big bad wolf was hiding around the corner listening to this interaction and thought, “I’m not going to be able to get into that brick house, but if I can get Shirker and Lurker on my side, they will help me!”

So he sidled up to the two pigs who by now were shaking with fear, and said, “Don’t be afraid Shirker and Lurker. I’m on your side. Worker is a very unfair pig. He has this lovely brick house and you have to live in straw houses. Surely you’re also entitled to brick houses?” “Yes we are!” said Shirker and Lurker with a look of disgust at Worker's house. “It’s not fair that he should have a brick house and we don’t!” “Well if we work together, we can all have brick houses” said the wolf. “What do we have to do?” cried Shirker and Lurker. “Let’s protest outside Worker's house so that everyone in the village will see how unfair and selfish Worker is” said the wolf.

And so the wolf, Shirker and Lurker made posters denouncing Worker, and marched around and around his house crying how unfair he was that he had not built brick houses for them as well. Worker of course had laid in all his supplies and was living quite comfortably and safely in his brick house. He paid little attention to the protest action outside thinking that they would grow tired and go away.

But the wolf had other plans. “Our protest isn’t working” said the wolf. “We need to do something drastic to attract news reporters and television.” “Well what do we do then?” asked Shirker and Lurker. “Let’s burn the place!” said the wolf. “Yes!” cried Shirker and Lurker.

So they brought dried bush, sticks, logs and old tyres and put them all around Worker's house. The wolf then gave Lurker a rag doused in petrol and told him to light it and throw it into the pile of bush, sticks, logs and old tyres. Lurker lit the rag with a match that wolf gave him and tossed the flaming bundle into the wood and tyres piled up around Worker's house.

Then they all stood and watched Worker's house burn down.

The newspapers later reported that Worker had died of natural causes and that a great victory had been won for the working class. On the front page was a picture of Shirker and Lurker sitting on a burnt-out roof beam with big smiles on their faces and holding a banner which read, “Equality for All!”.

There was no sign of the wolf.

(With apologies and thanks to the original author of "Three little pigs")

Mark Deavall is the managing director of Merit Business Institute. To contact Mark, please call him on 27 82 465 5481 or [email protected]