Saturday, 7 May 2011
The Mould Factory
On a remote island somewhere far from civilisation a factory was in progress. The steam that bellowed from the giant chimney indicated that it was in big business.
Inside there were lots of busy men in grey suits making moulds to make figurines. These figurines were to go in rich people’s houses to be shown off to visiting guests.
Once the mould had been cast the molten metal would be poured in to make a permanent silver figurine. These figurines could be sold on the market for high prices and the mould factory was very successful.
The emperor then one day sent a message.
“I am having a famous athlete come to dinner. I want a figurine to impress him.”
The technicians got to work and designed a mould for an athlete figurine. Eventually they decided on the image of a discus thrower with rippling muscles, discus in hand just about to cast it into space. They poured the molten liquid in and let it cool. When they removed the mould they had a beautiful silver monument which they sent to the emperor with pride. The emperor was so pleased that he decided to employ the mould factory again.
“I have a writer coming to stay with me. Make me a writer figurine. If I am impressed I will pay you double what I paid for the last one.”
The men in grey suits rubbed their hands with glee. They thought long and hard over this one. They settled on an image of the writer at a desk. One hand was pointing to the sky in mid muse. The other held a pen, poised for action. Splendid the technicians thought. They quickly got to work with the mould and the silver cooled to make a magnificent figurine.
The emperor was very pleased and paid them double as promised.
The emperor then got slightly boastful and said “I would now like a figurine of me. If it’s to my liking I shall pay ten times the normal amount.”
The men in grey suits then whooped for joy. They got together in the conference room and came up with the most flattering emperor image they could think of. They decided in the end of a heroic emperor, astride a horse rearing up onto its back legs. The emperor was stern faced with armour on, a spear in one hand a shield in the other.
As an added touch they made the figurine out of gold rather than silver.
The emperor was so pleased he put the figurine right outside the palace gates so everyone could see it, and paid the technicians ten times the required amount as promised.
Then one day the emperor sent a message which confused the technicians somewhat.
“I have a guest coming to my palace who claims to be a human being and nothing more. I am perplexed by this as I have never met a human being before. Make me an accurate figurine and I will make you richer than you could ever imagine!”
The men in grey suits scratched their heads and all discussed what they thought a human being was. One thought ‘well a human being must be very clever so why don’t we make a professor figurine?’
They got to work making a professor figurine with glasses and a professors hat and bottles in his hand as if he was creating some potion. However when they poured in the liquid, the mould cracked, and the molten liquid drained away.
They then thought ‘maybe this human being is an entertainer. Why don’t we make a dancing figurine? The dancing figurine also cracked and the liquid drained away.
The technicians made several attempts at a human being figurine but every mould broke as soon as they put in the molten liquid.
Eventually they had to admit defeat. “We are very sorry Emperor but we cannot mould a human being.”
“Damn you!” the Emperor exclaimed. “What kind of sculptors do you think you are? Well if you can’t mould me a human being, I shall find someone who can!”
Then the emperor’s advisor had an idea.
“Maybe, Your Highness, this ‘human being’ is not something that can be defined in a single image. Let me speak to some people and see what I can come up with.”
After consulting some expert manufacturers the advisor managed to obtain some rubber like, pliable material. When the liquid was entered into the material it continually evolved and changed shape presenting many different images. When he presented this to the emperor the response was not what he hoped.
“What is this!” he roared. “How can I see from this, what a human being is? It won’t keep still for one blasted second!”
The emperor was so enraged by this attempt that he had the advisor executed. “I shall have this human being in my collection, I swear it!” he said to himself. He then had an idea. He waited for the human being to visit and had his artist draw a likeness of him. He then sent the likeness to the original mould factory.
“Now look!” said the emperor. “I have been more than patient but I am fed up with this ineptitude. This is a human being. Make me a figurine or I shall have you all sent from the island and bankrupted.”
The technicians then breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh this is a human being. We can mould this for sure.”
They quickly got to work and produced a mould exactly matching the likeness. They poured in the liquid and to their relief it did not crack.
They sent the figurine to the emperor who was satisfied with the result. He now had a human being to add to his collection.
The mould manufacturers then kept their jobs, and produced moulds for many years to come.