The abnormal square

     In the land of squares there was always peace.  Everybody agreed with everybody else.  There were never any problems in square land because everybody knew their proper place.  When one square would talk to another square, they would stand with their sides adjacent so as no to offend each other by showing their corners.  In social groups and at work the squares always fit perfectly together.  They were very efficient, since they used up all of the space between them.  Squares from square land did not tolerate inefficiency.  Since they never had to deal with it, inefficiency was incomprehensible.
     Once day a strange fellow was born into the community.  A young square was born who did not have corners.
     “Oh my,” thought the parents, “this little fellow does not have any offensive corners.  He will be highly efficient and not offensive to anybody.”
     And the young circle grew to be kind and was always the most accepting and mellow guy in the community.  Since he had not corners, he didn’t jolt himself into places like his fellow squares.  He would just rock around, and then roll on over to where he wanted to go.
 Well, the circle went around rocking and rolling his way through youth, until it was time for him to find a place in society.  The circle was very calm; he would just roll around looking for a job, never worrying about his differences because he knew he did not have any offensive parts.  But the circle never got a job; he was unable to fit into the tight spaces required for work.  Because he lacked sharp corners, he used up less room then the squares and left extra space.
     This was only a minor problem at first, until it was time for the circle to take his place as one of the sections of the great society of squares.  All of the squares lined up into an orderly fashion and decided upon the regulations and rules of the society.  When the circle tried to join in the legislative body he found that he could not fit at all.  The silly squares would not tolerate any sort of inefficiency whatsoever.
     And so, when the circle tried to join them, and inevitably left empty space as a result of his missing corners, the squares became deeply perturbed.  They decided that they could not have such an insult to their efficient culture among them.  The mellow circle pleaded that he would simply leave them alone, but to no avail.  The squares decided that it was only proper that the circle be disposed of, and that this become a common policy towards any more of his kind that should perchance happen upon their peaceful, efficient kingdom again.
     The squares decided to attack the circle with their rough, sharp corners.  The circle, having no corners, was unable to defend himself, and therefore was easily eradicated by the vicious corners of the squares.
     Upon killing the circle, the squares placed their corners back into a fashion in which they did not show to each other, fitting themselves nicely back into their efficient, peaceful system.  And so, the system of peace has been maintained in much the same manner. Efficiency, order, and peace were always top priority in the beatific community of squares.
 

                                                                                                    ~Brian O'Neill