Brick House

There once was a man and a brick wall. Now how these two came to be together and what brought them there, I do not know. I only know that once upon a time, there was a man and a brick wall.

The man loved the beauty of the wall with its fire darkened red bricks and its even, precise construction. He loved it so much that he decided to take the brick wall to live in his garden. He looked at the wall and decided to move it the only way he knew how: by beating his head against it.

Now, I'm not one to say whether or not beating one's head against a brick wall is the optimal method of removal , but just as an observation, I would tend to think there are better ways to get around a brick wall. But again, that's just a personal observation.

Now it happened that one day that a not quite so innocent bystander stood and watched the man beating his head against the brick wall and had to know more.

"Sir," the NQSIB asked, "why are you beating your head against that wall?"

"I'm trying to move it," the man answered.

"How long have you been beating your head against this wall," the NQSIB queried.

"Well," the man thought in between poundings, "I guess it's been more weeks than I can count at this point."

The NQSIB thought for several minutes and then spoke to the man again.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

The man winced as he said, "Well, now that you mention it, yes. It hurts a great deal."

"Then why do you continue to do it."

"I wish to move this wall."

The NQSIB thought again and said, "I know a man who has a bulldozer. I'm sure he could help you move this wall."

The man turned his head and looked at the not quite so innocent bystander (which isn't all that easy to do when beating your head against a brick wall) and snorted, "I can't do that. Then the wall will have won."

Several more days passed when the NQSIB passed by again and found the man still beating his head (which by now, I'm sure, didn't look all that attractive) against that wall.

"So why," began the NQSIB, "do you wish to move this wall."

"It's beautiful and I want it with me so that I can see it whenever I want. It can do everything I need it to in my garden."

The NQSIB (who seems to be a lot more patient and thoughtfilled than the average NQSIB) replied, "But, sir! Where the wall is now, everyone can enjoy it! On this side are tulips and beautiful bushes that attract bees and birds. On the other side of the wall is a park where children play. The wall keeps them safe, sets boundaries and keeps the children's toys where they belong. Dogs can't run in the road because of this wall. Balls don't bounce away because of this wall. Birds stand on top of it and sing all day long. Dozens of people made this wall just the way it is. From the person who harvested the mud and baked it into bricks, to the bricklayer, the engineer, all sorts of people."

The man looked at the NQSIB for one moment.

The NQSIB said, "Why on earth would you want to move this wall? It's perfect where it is?" And he walked away shaking his head.

The man thought for a moment, watched the NQSIB bystander leaving, and then began once more to beat his head against the wall.