The Zax

I read this to Lucas now and again. It's a good kids story and teaches one the importance of compromise. This story always brings the Israel/Palestine situation to my mind...though I doubt if Lucas thinks of that as he nods off...

One day, making tracks
In the prairie of Prax,
Came a North-Going Zax

And a South-Going Zax.
And it happened that both of them came to a place
Where they bumped. There they stood.
Foot to foot. Face to face.

"Look here, now!" the North-Going Zax said, "I say!
You are blocking my path.  You are right in my way.
I'm a North-Going Zax and I always go north.
Get out of my way, now, and let me go forth!"

"Who's in whose way?" snapped the South-Going Zax.
"I always go south, making south-going tracks.
So you're in MY way!  And I ask you to move
And let me go south in my south-going groove."

Then the North-Going Zax puffed his chest up with pride.
"I never," he said, "take a step to one side.
And I'll prove to you that I won't change my ways
If I have to keep standing here fifty-nine days!"

"And I'll prove to YOU," yelled the South-Going Zax,
"That I can stand here in the prairie of Prax
For fifty-nine years!  For I live by a rule
That I learned as a boy back in South-Going School.
Never budge!  That's my rule.  Never budge in the least!
Not an inch to the west!  Not an inch to the east!
I'll stay here, not budging!  I can and I will
If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still!"

Well...
Of course the world didn't stand still.  The world grew.
In a couple of years, the new highway came through
And they built it right over those two stubborn Zax
And left them there, standing un-budged in their tracks.

I thoroughly recommend Dr. Seuss stories to anyone, young or old. Lucas and I especially like The Sneetches, Horton Hears A Who (movie coming in 2008!), Cat In The Hat (thanks to little sis Vicky for the book) and What Was I Scared Of?

Most of them have quite serious underlying adult themes such as discrimination (Sneetches) and fear of the unknown (What Was I Scared Of?)