While walking through a large park, feeling thirsty and hungry, I noticed that under one of the shelters was what looked like a refrigerator. It was not white or black, but shining in metallic gold.
Out of curiosity, I approached the gleaming object. I was confronted by a guard who warned me to stay away from that refrigerator. Defiantly, I answered, "This is a public park, and my taxes support your employment." While he continued warning me, I approached the golden refrigerator, which had a manufacturer's label that read "FULLNESS". There were also refrigerator magnets on the door with faces portrayed on them.
I opened the door, saw all sorts of food and beverage, selected one of each that looked good, and moved to sit down at a nearby picnic table to eat and drink. The guard, who had been following me, warned me not to eat of the food nor drink of the beverage, as neither of them were properly labeled. He said that no one knew the origin of the golden refrigerator. "Its food and drink could be poison to one's soul."
I thanked him for his concern, but asked, "Where do I pay for these refreshments?"
"We don't know who put this refrigerator here, nor who supplies it, and no one is here to collect payments for the food and beverages in it. This whole thing has got to be the dastardly plot of the Devil to poison people who are hungry and thirsty."
A while later I returned to the park wanting to taste other food and beverage in the golden refrigerator. I was confronted by a lady guard who repeated the same warnings that the previous guard had voiced.
Before opening the golden door titled "FULLNESS", I noticed that the face of the former guard was portrayed on a refrigerator magnet. I was confused by this, but again took out some food and beverage and began enjoying them.
Meanwhile a family was approaching the refrigerator, and seeing me happily eating and drinking, wondered if I got the refreshments from the refrigerator. I told them that there is plenty of good food and beverage in it, and that no one needs to be paid.
At this, the woman guard jumped into activity, warning the family that the refreshments were not properly labeled and could be poisonous to their souls. I countered, "I have enjoyed refreshments from this refrigerator before and suffered no ill effects."
The guard, who was much more authoritative-looking than I, convinced the family to stay away from the golden refrigerator. I went back for more refreshments. As I shut the door, I noticed that the guard was gone. But on the refrigerator door was a new refrigerator magnet with her face portrayed on it, frozen, like all the other faces, in expressions of concern for the welfare of souls.
This greatly upset me. Meanwhile, another guard was approaching.
INteresting allegory; not up to John Bunyan, but Colossal Cave Adventure quality indeed.
Interesting, but does nothing to address the FULLNESS other than, “We ain’t died from eatin’ this stuff yet.”