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A Barrel by The Sea - A Modern Parable

One day I went to the sea...to catch a fish for my dinner. Once there, I saw a man standing beside a barrel on the shore. He beckoned me.

"Are you here to fish, friend?", he asked.

"Yes sir, I am. For my dinner", I replied.

The stranger pointed to the barrel. "Have a fish from my barrel. They are good fish. Perfect for your meal. And they are free!" The stranger went on about the quality of his fish, and that having a fish from his barrel would keep me from the risks of venturing into the deep, dangerous sea. I thanked him for his concern, as I briefly wondered who this man was, and why he stood on the shore with a barrel of fish. Where did the barrel come from? Where did the fish come from? Was he doing this out of concern for the welfare of his fellow man, or was he in some way required to do this?

I looked out at the sea. Therein lie a vast number of different species of fish. All varieties for all tastes. From seabass to shark. Fish so small one might not notice them, to fish so large they can swallow a man.  

"May I?", I asked the man as I moved my hand to the barrel.

"By all means", he replied.

I reached into the barrel and easily got hold of a fish, which I took out of the barrel. It was a carp.

"A fine fish, indeed!" said the man. "It will make a good meal for you."

One can eat carp, but they are dirty fish. Bottom feeders. It requires extra steps to filter out the dirt from the fish. Carp are bony fish. It would require cautious preparation so that I did not ingest a fishbone, which might get stuck in my throat and cause me to choke. I placed the carp back in the barrel.

"Are these all carp?" I asked the man. 

"Yes," he answered. "They are good fish and will provide a good, nutritious meal for you!"  

I thanked him but declined, and began to walk closer to the sea, the man began to argue with me about the dangers of the deep sea. He warned me of waves and an undertow that could drag me to a watery grave. I might not even catch a fish and will go hungry. 

Growing weary of his argument, I walked back to my village. Hungry, I decided to stop by the inn for my dinner. I know the innkeeper. I like him and I trust him. I told him about the man with a barrel by the sea. He sighed and told me that others had told him similar stories. Some took the free fish. Some did not. Some who took the fish, grumbled about the quality of it, while some had no complaint at all. 

The innkeeper asked if I was hungry and if would I care for a meal. Knowing full well that his food was inexpensive, basic fare, I agreed. It would satisfy my hunger, afford me the required nutrition, and would also benefit members of the community; his cook, the farmers, the butcher, etc. 

While waiting for my meal, the innkeeper and I spoke of local news in our community. A fancy restaurant had opened just outside the village. It offered a wide variety of exotic meals, often rich in spices but ultimately lacking in nutrition. And all at a hefty price, especially for the average villager. No, I was happy to have a nice, traditional meal at the inn. While eating my meal, I thought about the man with the barrel of fish by the sea. While the new restaurant charged high prices for its meals, the man by the shore was trying, with some effort, to give away his fish. To what end? He seemed almost desperate to keep me from the deep and dangerous sea. But why?  


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