Have and Not Have

I will tell you a story. A man named Mal worked in his field, and his crops were few and poor, and he spent his time shouting at the sky for lack of rain. A man named Owhn across the path of Mal also worked his field, and his crops were many and strong, yet he had the same rain as Mal. Then Mal went to Ohwn and said, “give me some of your crops, that I may not go hungry.” And Ohwn said, “Why should I give you my crops? You have worked the same amount of land as I, and had the same rain. Should you not also have the same crops?” And Mal replied, “I have understood the ways of Nature, and know that She is unequal in her share of rain. Thus she sends more to you, and less to me, and our crops are unequal.” But Owhn said, “We are so close, so how can this be? Are clouds so small or selective that brothers on the same path will diverge so greatly in their outcome?” And Mal said, “And yet even so our yield is not equal. Therefore give me some of your crops that we may be the same.” But Owhn was defensive, and would not give his crops, so Mal said, “Why would you deny your brother his share of what Nature has kept from him? Would not our outcomes be the same, were it not for the injustice wrought by Nature and her devices? Will you continue that injustice by retaining what is rightfully mine?” But Owhn would not yield, for he was not convinced that there was injustice in Nature, which does not distinguish between persons, but merely is. And so in the night, Mal came and burned Owhn’s grain stores, and when Owhn saw the flames he ran out, shouting, “Mal, Mal, why have you done this thing? Am I not a brother to you, that you would destroy what I have rightfully reaped?” And Mal said, “Because you have, and I do not have, I have burned it to the ground, that we may be equal.”