Greylag Goose and Mute Swan

 

1. Boredom

. One day, the farm became boring. Let's be honest, it was very boring. It had never been this boring. Greylag Goose had been thinking about a trip for a long time. Once again in recent days, she looked at her devoted friend, the Mute Swan, and spoke to him with these words:

"Friend, Mute Swan, you Mute Swan, we have to get out of here, I can't stand this boredom any longer!"

The Swan pondered for a moment, then nodded vigorously, letting Greylag Goose know that he couldn't stand this boredom any longer either.

This dynamic and enthusiastic discussion had somewhat exhausted our friends. Therefore, overcome by a feeling of particular fatigue, they decided to rest for a while. Settling comfortably on a haystack, Greylag Goose began, as was her style, a short tirade about the current circumstances.

"I think to myself, Mute, that we're not doing well here at all. Don't you dare scowl at me." Sometimes I really get the feeling those swans of yours are trying to interrupt me.

"What? I've already said it. Come on! Why are you laughing? You know, I think I'll really get offended. I'll just back off. I'll just back off on you and go away. Stop defending yourself. Don't throw up your hands. I know you didn't say anything because you can't. But what do you think, if you can't speak, I can't be offended. My dear, I see everything, and I... I'll tell you straight. I simply feel offended."

The swan looked at the Greylag goose dumbfounded. He straightened his feathers and, ignoring the goose's pouting, began to slowly settle down in the hay. His rump to the left, his rump to the right. He lay down comfortably, searching for a hole. It's important to emphasize that this action is essential when lying down. Finding a hole is the key to proper laziness.

The goose knew this well. So, copying her friend's movements, she tried to make her own little spot.

Once they were both comfortably lounging on the hay, the Greylag continued tirelessly.

"I'm thinking, Mummy, that we're not doing well here at all. We're lounging, I'm asking you, on this beautiful, golden hay. And what? We're supposed to be doing well. Don't you even think, Swan, that anyone will come to say a kind word to you. Does this hay even appreciate that we're lying here, that we're giving it meaning?

" "Don't you know? I'll tell you, absolutely not. Our work, our contribution, our involvement aren't even noticed. And I'll tell you, it's sad. It hurts, it just hurts like hell.

" "You turned around. Are you listening to me? What are you doing there?"

"Wake up, you ingrate. I'm explaining the world to you, busting my ass to make you understand, and you're sleeping.

" "I'm losing my strength at times." "What do you mean, to whom? To you. Why are you looking at me so stupidly? I'm talking to you, aren't I?

" That yawn was disrespectful, to say the least. I expect an apology.

The Swan nodded, knowing that without admitting at least some of his guilt, he would never find peace. He adjusted the blades of grass under his head and decided to count the clouds. He considered this an engaging enough activity to keep him awake. And most importantly, it evoked a look of concentration, thanks to which he would gain a significant contribution to the "discussion" with the Greylag Goose.

"That's the way it is with us, 21st-century thinkers. We must constantly resist and fight against society's ignorance. We bear the burden of ridicule, otherness, alienation. But I, the Greylag Goose, am ready to take on this burden.

" "Because I feel I have a mission, you know?"

At this point, the Swan couldn't contain himself and began to roll with laughter.

"Ignoring it? I can bear it. This is my cross. The philosopher's cross."

The Mute Swan tried his best to fight back laughter and maintain a serious expression. He knew the Greylag Goose very well and didn't want to hurt her feelings. He nodded to her, asking for more explanations about the nature of this world.

"And you finally agree. You understand I'm right.

" "But why are you nodding here? I know I'm right. I'm aware."

There was a moment of silence. Greylag stretched slightly. Which Cygnus decided was a good moment to catch some sun. The sun had just emerged from behind the clouds, and since it was noon, the rays were intensely warm, providing a sweet sense of relief.

The respite didn't last long, however.

"And this sun, for example. Do you think it even occurred to him to appreciate us? After all, no one else but us, here and now, basking in its glow. So we give it meaning to exist. Tell me, am I wrong?"

The Mute vigorously confirmed Greylag's words, thus gaining himself a few more minutes of peaceful sunbathing.

"Did you use any sunscreen? You're exposing yourself to that sun. There are consequences, after all."

The swan's eyes widened.

"No, what? Only consequences," I said.

"Those are the unpleasant things that come up later, even after you do nothing.

" "What, didn't you know that doing nothing also has consequences?

" "Well, I can forgive you, because most people don't know that."

The goose pondered for a moment. Searching for the lost thread of her monologue.

"Every day, for example, we eat this grain. And tell me, we try. Every day we try to squeeze in more. And what?

" "Don't worry, I'll tell you. Simply nothing. You think anyone will appreciate it. Don't be stupid. And if it weren't for us, would we even need this grain?

" "I won't multiply these examples. The point is the same. They're ungrateful."

The swan glanced at the Greylag Goose questioningly.

"What are they like?" you ask. "That's how they say it now. You haven't heard. My friend, how unpractical you are. I see I still have a lot to teach you.

" "Don't sigh here, just listen to someone smarter than you.

" "If something doesn't work out, my dear, you don't say it like you used to, I have to put in the effort. Now they say, 'They screwed up again.' If you make a mistake, you say, 'They've got some bullshit again.' If you fall, you say, 'They're putting some obstacles in my way again.'

" "Don't ask, I don't know exactly why, but now everyone's citing aliens. I don't believe in UFOs and all that stuff either. But if you get too carried away, I'll explain it to you. You can say, 'They ate it,' because now, my friend, that's standard practice. They came, they ate it, and that's the end of the story.

" "That's all, my dear. We're simply not appreciated." That's a shame, because as I briefly explained to you...

"Although, I'll tell you, sometimes you have this beak that makes you look like a clogged beak. And I'm really not sure you understood everything."

At these words, the Swan put on such a scowl that even the Goose lost some of his composure.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry... I take it back. The beak thing is unimportant! Nothing was said. Ugh, it's so brassy how it sometimes escapes me." The Mute Man

softened a bit and with a faint smile gave Greylag absolution.

"And it's all because of my nerves. I'm so stressed, I tell you. Whenever I think about what this world stands on, it boils inside me. The philosopher's cross, my dear.

" "What? Have I already told you that?

" "Exactly, because, as I briefly explained to you, my friend, we are the pillars of this civilization, and it simply doesn't appreciate us.

In the end, the meaning of existence turned out to be incredibly boring." Our two friends fell into a blissful slumber. And their dreams by no means revolved around questions about who the sun was shining for now, and who, in their absence, would give meaning to the scattered grain. Greylag was the first to wake up.

"We can't remain passive!

" "Mute, get up! Don't toss around like that. Come back to reality. You lazy bird.

" "Psh, you tinfoil. How I sometimes blurt it out.

" "Sorry, sorry, sorry... I take it back. What I said about the bird is unimportant!"

"He's not listening at all! He's still asleep! That beak is...Psh, you tinfoil!

" "Get up, Mute!"

The goose mercilessly tugged at the Swan. Willingly or unwillingly, he had no chance of further rest.

"I have important things to tell you." I was getting an idea.

"We can't remain passive! We have to change this world."

- That's why I wanted to invite you on a trip, my friend. Or rather, on a fascinating journey. We have to get out of here!

The Swan glanced sideways at the Greylag and ordered her to follow his movements. He glared at the Goose for a moment longer, checking that she was really looking at him.

The Mute marked the spot on the grass where he stood and began to slowly move in an invisible circle, stopping each time at the starting point.

"Wait, wait... I'm close. I think I've got it. You're making circles. You're returning to the starting point."

At that moment, the Swan, pleased with himself, pointed at the Greylag.

"Wait a minute. Me. It's supposed to be about me.

" "And you know, I think I'm remembering now. I actually talked to you about this trip.

" "Mute, what are we still doing here? We're just grabbing the essentials and off we go.

" "Don't make that face. I'm not taking that black suitcase."

The Swan spread his arms and nodded doubtfully.

"You know. It made sense back then. A weekend getaway isn't a joke, after all." And I brought a second pair of shoes in case of inclement weather. Three dresses for two days, what's so strange about that? I'll tell you, only men don't calculate that. And I'll tell you more...

And so began the journey of these two great friends into the heart of the modern city. Our heroes first took the concrete path, commonly known as the sidewalk, to the office buildings located on the city's outskirts.

2. The Court Case

The Greylag Goose and the Mute Swan watched the city's buildings grow before their eyes with admiration.

The Goose made a firm resolution to present its case to the most important government decision-makers. The essence of existence, after all, concerns everyone. Therefore, it must arouse the interest of officials and dignitaries. Everyone should know who the pillars of this society are. The

frenetic crowd moved with incredible surprise. People rushed through the streets, paying no attention to each other. The two friends stopped for a moment, watching the passersby.

"You know, Mute, I think I already know. I have a feeling it's just a game."

The Swan pondered for a moment. He made a questioning face, forcing an explanation from the Greylag.

"Look at that old lady in gray, for example. Who would have thought she was hobbling a moment ago, and now she's running like crazy. Look how she's pushing herself with that stick. That's dizzying speed, my dear.

" "Look, look, Mute! At a red light. She crossed the street recklessly.

" "Buddy, don't you understand yet? They're all playing tag. And the old lady is probably afraid the one in red will catch her."

The Swan, delighted by this parade, began jumping and clapping her bird wings.

"Look, the red one has changed direction. She's running for the bus. She's probably trying to ambush the driver."

"Ah, a beautiful escape. Did you see how he closed the door in her face?

" "I'm telling you, it was a tactical move."

The Mute enjoyed the game so much that he didn't think twice. He ran up to the nearest passerby and, in one fluid movement, slapped him with his wing. The man turned around in surprise and looked at the Swan in astonishment.

The Mute gave the passerby a broad, mischievous smile. He jumped aside, turned quickly, and began to run away.

The indignant man shouted a few inarticulate sounds at the bird. He assumed an outraged expression and shook his finger at the Swan.

The Greylag Goose watched the spectacle, amused. Then she ran after the Swan.

"Stop, madman, stop. What are you doing!"

"Friend, sometimes I wonder if you don't leave your wits at home.

" "You gave him a good slap, but you didn't shout 'tag,' and that's the basis of the game."

The swan pointed amusedly at his beak and spread his arms.

"That's right, you are the Mute Swan after all."

The two friends laughed heartily.

The swan couldn't help but admire himself and escape in such beautiful style. He was constantly replaying the tag scene and parodying the man's scowl.

The greylag goose tried to calm his friend, convincing him of the necessity of continuing his journey.

"Buddy, enough of this fun. We must remember that we have a mission. We came here to announce important things."

The mute goose couldn't stop laughing. However, knowing the geese's stubbornness, he continued his journey. The friends moved slowly through the bustling streets. They continued to observe the people passing by and the city's architectural curiosities with genuine interest. Finally, they reached a huge building, rising majestically at the intersection of two busy streets. A sign affixed to the building pathetically read "Mortgage Court."

The goose stared blankly at the sign, trying to decipher the meaning of the words.

"Swan, do you see this? This must be some serious institution.

" "A court of hypno..., hypothetical..., hypothetical."

"Come on, Mute, let's go inside."

The swan, without much objection, followed the Greylag, heading into the building. The friends looked in awe at the high, enormous corridors, the overwhelmingly large staircase leading to the upper floors of the building, and the crowd milling about.

The Mute smiled at the memory of his latest feat and cheerfully tucked his feathers in, preparing to jump, looking for the next victim of the game of tag. The goose had guessed its traveling companion's intentions in advance.

"Just try it!!! You're like a child sometimes, I tell you, you are.

" "Why are you smiling so stupidly? We're in a hypothetical court, not in a sandbox."

"I think I need to remind you that you're acting as a representative here. Humanity is behind you. You're supposed to repair our civilization."

After Greylag's admonitions, the Swan quickly abandoned any idea of ​​fun. He assumed a serious expression, appropriate to the situation, and straightened his long, swan-like neck.

The Goose glanced around and, realizing that most of the people entering the building were heading for the mezzanine, followed in the same footsteps.

"Follow me, Mute. We should find someone up there who will listen to us. Someone suitable."

The friends climbed the stairs. They were forced to stop by a cluster of people milling around one of the doors. The Goose and the Swan began to observe the unfolding situation with interest.

The people formed a compact mass, yet it showed a certain order in the form of two trailing tails. The entire group seemed to be feeling intensely nervous and impatient.

The crowd, of course, had its own informal leader. The charismatic leader turned out to be the woman standing right by the doors. It should be emphasized that this title was usurped, and the leadership was certainly self-appointed. The queue manager directed the movement with complete dedication and passion.

"And you've only just arrived. Please move away from the door. Can't you see where the end of the queue is?

" "What? You hear people, but you wanted to read the sign on the door.

" "We know each other on these numbers, sir."

The queue members enthusiastically picked up the conversation, expressing their dissatisfaction with loud shouts.

"We're waiting here too; we've been standing like this since morning. Please don't push your way in," they shouted.

"We all have urgent matters," the elderly woman commented curtly.

"I'm also in a hurry to get to work," shouted the man in the black coat.

The leader of the group signaled her fellow sufferers to be silent and allowed her to speak.

"And what's your matter, if I may ask?" she asked the now-frightened newcomer.

"Me? I just wanted an extract from the land and mortgage register.

" "Has the application been submitted, dear?"

"No. Me, me... This is my first time here.

" "Well, dear, I invite you to the left wing of the queue.

" "Requests for entries are on the left, and extracts are on the right. That's the nice rule here.

" "Yes, yes. This is my fifth time here, I know."

The slightly dazed and disoriented man retreated to the back of the queue without a word of protest. The man standing last in the indicated queue tried to cheer him up.

"Don't worry, it's even going quite quickly today."

The newcomer felt a total surge of desperation and helplessness. He put on a completely resigned face and asked,

"What, are you coming here again?"

Pleased by the interest shown, the man eagerly began to tell his story.

"Yes, yes, sir, you know. The first time, like you, I came to submit an application, and since the form offered the option of personal collection or postal delivery, I naturally selected the latter. I figured there was no point in wasting time and standing in line a second time.

" "When it was my turn, I politely asked the lady to mail me the extract, as instructed on the form.

" "Choosing the postal option really frightened our clerks. They hadn't expected it at all.

" "Sir, the entire courthouse was in a panic. How could they possibly know how much I had to pay for this extract if they hadn't prepared it yet?"

"I then asked, sir, gently, if people ever came here for anything other than extracts from the land and mortgage register." The ladies agreed that petitioners were sent here for that single purpose. So I noticed that such a statement is a standard, and it's certainly possible to determine in advance how many pages it would take.

My logic stunned the clerks. It triggered a flurry of phone calls seeking clarification. Finally, they managed to determine the amount I should pay for this service.

"I'll leave aside the fact that I had to pay at the cashier's desk and arrived during a break. I was a bit surprised, sir, that there were three cashiers' windows, each of which was on break at the same time. It's no big deal.

" I returned to the clerks' office. I signed for the payment and was informed that the statement wouldn't reach me in four weeks at the earliest.

My new colleague, the queue worker, fascinated by the story, expressed his indignation.

"You must be

joking, sir, that's just the beginning." Four weeks later, I received correspondence from the court. Of course, it wasn't the long-awaited statement, but a demand to supplement the payment by another dozen or so zlotys, because, as it turned out, the clerks hadn't been able to determine the correct amount.

"I paid by bank transfer, but it was returned to my account due to the incorrect number. I checked the account number, and it matched the one on the court form.

" "Willingly or not, I was forced to return to these humble beginnings and pay at my favorite cashier's window.

" "Then, with the same payment receipt, I returned to the clerks to inform them that I had finally managed to pay in full and that I wasn't willing to wait any longer for the mail. Therefore, I'd like to request a date to collect my discharge papers.

" "Well, here I am. I have the date for today, sir, and I'm back."

The last queue member, engrossed in the story, nodded understandingly and gave in to a feeling of complete resignation. He briefly commented on the words of his colleague, more experienced in legal matters.

"We won't win against the system, sir.

" "And that's true, sir, the absolute truth."

The conversation was interrupted by an incident at the door. The loud shouts of the self-proclaimed leader of the crowd must have caught everyone's attention.

"Honey, you go to the park with a child, not to the courthouse.

" "And anyway, where did you leave this little one of yours? Show me the child. I need to take a closer look at it, then I'll judge.

" "What? She's sitting with a friend on the stairs. Did you hear that, people?

" "Honey, you'd better tell us which one is the child and which one is the friend, because I can't tell."

The queue leader's joke amused the queue members. Everyone looked at the woman demanding her right of way, who, increasingly confused, tried to prove her point.

"Karolek, come see your mommy. Mothers with children get in without queuing. Please let me through."

Karolek turned out to be a six-year-old boy. His mother certainly didn't deny him hearty meals, as evidenced by his portly figure and face like the fullest moon. With unconcealed effort, the woman tried to lift Karolek and settle him on her hip. The effort made her eyes bulge, and her face turn red.

"Honey, you better leave that boy alone, or you'll get a hernia."

The queue members were laughing their asses off at their mother's clumsy efforts, Karolek's somewhat surprised expression, and the unyielding queue manager.

The determined mother continued to try to ram the people standing by the door and get into the room. However, she had no chance of winning against the usurping leader, who, like Reytan, threw herself against the door, effectively blocking the passage.

Finally, the outraged woman, wagging her finger and shouting unquotable words at the charismatic director, left the courthouse defeated.

In true recognition of her valiant defense of the case, the crowd rewarded their leader with applause. She bowed slightly, folded her hands under her breasts, and once again assumed the pose of a halberdier defending the entrance to her king's chamber.

Another unfortunate individual trying to skip the line and force his way into the court clerks' room was an elderly gentleman who introduced himself as a notary. He addressed the crowd calmly and matter-of-factly, not hiding the oratorical skills that, as everyone knows, are inherent to the legal profession.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I don't think I need to quote the regulations here. I consider the discussion about my entry into the room to be truly pointless. Certain organizational units have legal authority to handle their own affairs first. Therefore, I conclude that as a notary, I have such authority. I have no intention of arguing with the opinions of people who have no expertise in the matter.

" "You can establish this at home, Mr. Notary," the leader snapped.

"Everyone stands, so you stand too, my dear."

The notary, however, wouldn't give up. With unconcealed pride, he took out his official ID and began waving it in front of the manager's eyes with fluid movements.

"Don't fan me here, my dear. Finally, I invite you. Order must be maintained."

The notary, seeing that this would be pointless, decided to gain entry by trickery. He turned slightly, suggesting to disguise himself that he was giving up further argument. Then he abruptly moved toward the door and, throwing the queue manager into the dust, burst into the room, still waving his ID.

"I'm a notary. Please accept me. I am a notary."

The ruse worked. And once inside, the man found himself in a different legal sphere, one that recognized his written right of priority.

The manager, exceptionally outraged, brushed herself off the floor and angrily hurled insults, obviously intended for the notary's ears. She knew, however, that a moment's inattention had allowed him to break through her sphere of influence to the other side of the barricade, and that in such a case there was nothing she could do.

Greylag and Mute watched the events with surprise. The belligerent leader inspired both admiration and fear in them.

"Swan, I think this hypothetical judgment is a real mess. And I'll tell you something more. As a philosopher, I'll speak now."

Outside the court clerks' door, another heated exchange was taking place, clearly destined for a fight. Swan still couldn't tear his eyes away from the charismatic queue manager.

"Are you even listening to me? Look at me, because I'm going to be making some important announcements."

Swan with difficulty looked away from the commotion at the door and summoned the last of his seriousness to let Goose know that he couldn't wait to hear what wisdom had come to her mind this time.

"Well. People, my dear, need a leader. Yes. They should be led. "

The Mute gestured with his wing at Greylag.

"Me? No, my friend. I thank you for your recognition and trust, but I didn't even think I could... Well, I'm quite suitable. I won't say. I have character, I have certain abilities. I'm intelligent too, though they probably look at that a bit less, don't you think?"

"But I'll tell you, I have one more trait. I have this innate Mute modesty, you know. Sometimes it's so hard for me to talk about myself, and bragging about it is completely out of character.

" "But thank you, my friend, thank you very much."

The Swan nodded, accepting the Goose's thanks.

"Well, that's not what I wanted to talk about.

" "We must, my dear, find a true leader and explain to him the meaning of existence. That is our Mute goal. We're leaving here, because this hypothetical one isn't the place for us. We're looking for a leader."

And so ended our travelers' visit within the walls of this venerable judicial institution. The friends decided to continue their search. They chose the road up the street.

"Swan, have I ever told you how wonderful I am..."

3. A Case in Parliament

The Greylag Goose and the Mute Swan strolled slowly along the city sidewalks. The weather was kind to our travelers. The sun had just emerged from behind the clouds, and a light breeze carried with it a mysterious hope of renewal and change.

"Swan, can you feel it? This wind. There's something in it.

" "Have I ever told you how much I love the wind?"

"Because the wind, my dear, always smells. Have you noticed?

" The Swan nodded and tilted his head, trying to smell the sweet breeze.

"The wind always smells. Most often, it reminds me of something. Some past event. I can't explain it to you properly. I can't always remember where I know that scent from. Sometimes I stop. I turn toward the wind and feel like it's already happened. And you know, it's almost always something pleasant, so gentle and reflective. I really love the wind.

" "Sometimes it smells of the season. The wind is the first to announce the coming autumn or winter, have you noticed? Sometimes it's still warm, but the gust already brings the specific scent of frost. Everyone knows what frost smells like. It's amazing, isn't it?"

The Swan pondered for a moment, analyzing the Greylag Goose's words.

"I'm a romantic after all. Tell me yourself. I'm so wonderful at talking about natural phenomena.

" "Don't turn up your nose. I saw you liked it.

" "And I'll tell you, I like studying nature. Taking it apart.

" "So what's so funny to you? Do you even notice what's going on around you?

" The Swan, quite amused by the Goose's ramblings, looked around, but since nothing particularly caught his attention, he spread his wings helplessly and glanced questioningly at the Greylag Goose.

"Do you see that tree? It's a very pretty tree. Its leaves are beautiful, its branches are magnificent.

" "Silent, I've just realized I have a bit of a poet's streak.

" "Don't look so blank. A poet, I say.

" "You heard how I put it so nicely a moment ago. Its leaves are beautiful, its branches are magnificent."

"You know I should think about this seriously. Maybe I was born to write poetry.

" "Because, you know, it's also a duty. I can't rob humanity of my talent by simply not revealing it."

The Mute nodded to the Greylag, for he was incredibly curious about the poems his friend would present to him next.

"In Mute's poetry, rhyme is the most important thing. I'll give you now, friend, a sample of my talent. And be aware that you might be the first to hear words that will one day be passed down from generation to generation.

" "The wind is beautiful, so light. The sun is shining and the birds are singing.

" "Not bad, huh? And I made that up completely on the spot.

" "Well, but we can't forget our mission. Hurry up, Mute, why have you been so bored again? Let's get moving, let's go. After all, we have an important mission. "

The Swan looked around, unsure which way they should go now.

"This way, Mute, follow me. Or let me put it another way; I am a poet, after all."

"Do you know, Swan, or do you want to know, that the Polish parliament is over there. And right there, to its gates. We should go, Gęś tells you so.

" "I really do have talent."

Gęś had already decided that their goal should be a place where they could present their arguments in a forum of this country's decision-makers. And she had chosen the parliament as such a place. She was convinced that someone appropriate would surely listen to them here. And finally, they would learn who the meaning of existence is and how this fact should be appreciated.

The building in which the members of parliament were meeting made a huge impression on our travelers. They stopped for a moment and admired the beautiful structure. Their admiration didn't take long, however, and after only a few minutes, they crossed the parliamentary threshold.

The building seemed strangely deserted to them, but they quickly put this down to some important sessions that were about to take place. This thought delighted the friends, as it was precisely this kind of meeting, gathering numerous government officials, leaders, and social representatives, that they were trying to get to.

It took Goose and Swan some time to find the meeting room. The travelers were surprised by the small number of MPs present. They decided to take their seats in the back rows and wait for the session to begin.

"Swan, do you feel this majesty, this solemnity?"

"We're in the Sejm. Here, only the most important and crucial social issues are discussed.

" "I'm so excited. Silent, I have to prepare for my speech now. I have to focus internally. This is no small matter. I'll be speaking in such a forum, before such distinguished figures.

" "Well, be quiet already, they're starting."

Finally, the master of ceremonies, as Goose called the Speaker of the Sejm, announced the beginning of the session.

"The first item on our agenda today is a motion submitted by MP Głuptak regarding the requirement to handwrite all documents containing legislative initiatives submitted to parliamentary committees for consideration in cursive.

" "I will ask the MP to say a few words about the proposed motion."

A silence fell in the chamber. However, MP Głuptak was nowhere to be seen. Despite the long wait, the lectern remained empty.

"Is MP Głuptak present in the chamber? I kindly request you to begin your speech," the Speaker repeated in a raised voice.

Finally, there was a commotion in the right corner of the chamber. A visibly sleepy MP Głuptak stood up and was heading towards the dais. The speech finally began.

"Gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, due to the widespread and widespread practice of not signing bills, I request the creation of a special investigative committee composed exclusively of graphologists, whose task would be to verify the authors of complex bills." I also propose introducing the requirement to use italics in motions, which would give them weight and dignity.

MP Głuptak thanked the floor and proudly left the podium.

The Speaker invited the MP on the left side of the chamber to present his opinion

. "I ask MP Baran to present his position.

" Baran spoke.

"I disagree with MP Głuptak's motion. I speak here on behalf of all lefties. We disagree with the use of italics, which by definition only serves right-handed people. The letters slanted to the right provoke our outrage. At the same time, we propose establishing parity in the committee of graphologists, which would ensure a fair division of members between left-handed and right-handed people.

" "Bravo, bravo..." thundered the left side of the chamber.

Our travelers listened to the discussion with surprise.

"Dumb, do you know what italics are?

" "This must be an extremely important social issue.

" "Such nerves, such emotions. I can tell you, I feel this atmosphere." I think I have some kind of political streak. I have to think about it.

The goose was so drawn into the lively discussion in the chamber that, following in the footsteps of her parliamentary brothers, she inadvertently shouted in her booming voice,

"Long live italics. Both left-handed. And right-handed."

The Speaker didn't miss this excitement and, with an absolutely foolish expression, asked,

"Would the central side of the chamber also like to speak? Please don't shout, I invite you to the podium."

The goose, surprised and somewhat embarrassed, bowed to the master of ceremonies with her innate grace and made her way to the podium.

The mute couldn't hide his emotions either. He shifted in his seat, drawing the attention of everyone around him. He tried to maintain a serious expression, and responded to the glances of the MPs glancing at him with a dignified nod, for he couldn't think of anything better.

Greylag climbed onto the pulpit and began her speech.

"Gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, I've come here to explain to you the meaning of existence. I'll speak partly as a philosopher, partly as a poet, and partly as a politician.

" "As an aside, I'll add that I've only just discovered my political abilities.

" "I know, I know. I'm a little surprised I didn't notice it before."

At that moment, Geese's face flushed slightly, which, knowing his friend, Łabędź considered exceptional.

At that moment, the marshal intervened and admonished Greylag.

"Please, Geese, we're discussing important matters here. We don't have time to dwell on the meaning of existence. Please, let's get to the point." Does MP Gęś have anything to add about the italic handwriting and the need to establish a committee?

"I, I think we could straighten out all that italics. There wouldn't be any confusion.

" "But that's not the point. I wanted to explain that the pillar of this world, the pantheon of society, we are..."

Gęś's words were drowned out by the sound of doors opening and closing repeatedly. The parliamentary group was leaving the chamber in droves. Apparently, no one was particularly interested in the nature of the world and the foundation of society.

Slightly surprised by the situation, Gęgawa paused, and seeing there was no one left to speak to, she returned to Swan with a grim expression.

"I failed miserably. No one here wants to hear about life's issues.

" "I think this isn't the right place to proclaim our beliefs.

" "And I have to say it again. This is precisely the philosopher's cross.

" "Because we, my dear friend, are ahead of our civilization, ahead of ourselves. We're talking about matters that some people haven't yet matured to understand."

The swan comfortingly stroked the Greylag Goose with his wing. He smiled at her and let her know with his eyes that he thought she had done brilliantly.

"I can speak. Well, I know I'm quite good at it. Thanks for the compliment.

" "You're a mute, but you're a good judge of someone's abilities. You really have an eye.

" "Friend, we can't give up. We'll force them to understand that it's us, you and I, who decide their existence or not.

" "Because what else are these buildings and these speeches for, if not for our eyes and ears?

" "As I've already explained, we give them meaning.

" "Well, a lecture like this isn't for everyone. We'll find someone else, someone suitable. Someone who will listen, understand, and ultimately appreciate us.

" "The fight is difficult, but we won't give up."

"Follow me, Mute. We're leaving this parliament, there's nothing for us here.

" "Once I get a breath of fresh air, I'm sure a new idea will come to me."

"I'll tell you, I've been very creative since I was a child."

The friends hurried to the exit. Once outside the building, they couldn't decide for a long moment where to go next.

"I think we'll go this way now," said Greylag, pointing towards the park.

"The Swan relied on the Goose's intuitive topographical sense, and together they headed in the indicated direction.

" "I'll tell you, I've always been pretty good with this creativity.

" "Did you know that even as a little goose, I was inventing all sorts of things. I wrote songs, for example.

" "If you want, I'll quote you a few of those..."