The Parable of the Monarch’s Holiday

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, with more stores being open and more people working on Thanksgiving, is it a matter of time before there is no Thanksgiving?”

Josh spoke thus:

A monarch declared the day of the monarch’s coronation a holiday and decreed that nobody should work on the holiday.

“It’s not a proper holiday if people are working,” the monarch told the royal court,  “Now, let’s celebrate.”

The monarch walked into the banquet hall.  Nobody joined the monarch in the banquet hall.

“Where is everyone?” the monarch asked.  Nobody answered.

The monarch went back out into the hallway, but the hallway was empty.  

The monarch went down the hallway to the royal chambers.  The royal chambers were deserted.

The monarch went down the stairs to the kitchens.  There was nobody in the kitchens but a scullery maid.

“You, scullery maid,” the monarch said to the scullery maid, “Where is everyone?”

“Everyone went away,” the scullery maid said, “Today’s a holiday.”

“I know today’s a holiday,” the monarch said, “I made today a holiday.  Where has everyone gone?”

“They’ve gone away to celebrate,” the scullery maid said, “They couldn’t celebrate here.”

“That’s ridiculous,” the monarch said, “Of course they can celebrate here.  It’s a holiday here.  Everyone’s supposed to be celebrating here.  Why is no one celebrating here?”

“First they wanted to cook a great banquet,” the scullery maid said, “But that would have been work.”

“A admit a banquet is a lot of work,” the monarch said, “But the results are worth the effort.”

“But work is against the law,” the scullery maid said.

“That’s ridiculous,” the monarch said, “What kind of fool makes work against the law?  Nothing would get done if work was against the law.”

“They said that was part of the holiday,” the scullery maid said, “It was decreed that work on the holiday was illegal.”

“But I didn’t mean not preparing meals,” the monarch said.

“You didn’t say you didn’t mean not preparing meals,” the scullery maid said, “So when they couldn’t prepare a meal and they wanted to celebrate the holiday, they all went across the border to the neighboring kingdom.”

“Why didn’t you go?” the monarch asked.

“I’m a scullery maid,” the scullery maid said, “If I’d have gone with them, they’d have made me work to prepare the celebrations.”

“So you’re just sitting here?” the monarch asked.

“What else is a scullery maid going to do?” the scullery maid asked.

“What else indeed?” the monarch said.  The monarch and the scullery maid sat together.

“Well, I’m hungry,” the monarch said, “I’m going to make myself a sandwich.  Would you like a sandwich?”

The scullery maid said that she would like a sandwich.  The monarch made them each a sandwich.  They sat together, the monarch and the scullery maid, and they ate.

“Not a bad holiday, this,” the scullery maid said.