A Little Fable--Franz Kafka

"Alas," said the mouse, "the whole world is growing smaller every day. At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, I kept running and running, and I was glad when I saw walls far away to the right and left, but these long walls have narrowed so quickly that I am in the last chamber already, and there in the corner stands the trap that I must run into."

"You only need to change your direction," said the cat, and ate it up.
______

This shortest of stories has always scared the bejesus out of me, mainly because of the time period of its authorship--the rise of Fascism. (I"ve always wondered if Art Spiegelman read this. Harvey should have asked him that at AWP Chicago. I think they talked about India ink instead).

I have thought about this exemplum for years, and I've finally worked it into a poem, where my musings belong.

For a wonderful graphic version of this little fable, click on the link above.