The Parable of the Clogs and the Acid Tank.

There is an intro to this parable here.

Not too long ago there were two young boys, Harry and Tommy, who would soon to be leaving school. They were going to follow in their father’s and their grandfather’s footsteps and like most people in their location and situation, end up working in the local factory or mill.

 A long-serving and experienced ex-chargehand at the factory had retired from the factory and had taken up another job working for a very skilled cobbler, in a cobblers shop, making specialist made to measure footwear. The ex-chargehand worked mainly taking orders for ‘new clogs’ or boots because of his vast experience on the factory floor.

The very skilled cobbler, who was supplying made to measure clogs for all the youngsters was also very wise in the ways of the factory and what footwear was best suited for different jobs. He usually kept hidden away in his workshop, unseen by his customers.

All those entering the factory had the option of ordering their clogs and most came to the cobblers shop to help them prepare for work in the mills and the factories, and the two boys, Harry and Tommy were no different. And the ex-charghand happily measured their feet and the cobbler made both boys the clogs he thought fitting for their job and the future growth of their feet, and he did so showing great care and attention to detail. The ex-chargehand then delivered the clogs to the boys in their homes and vigorously tried to advise both boys on their roles in the factory, because he had worked in it a long time, and now, due to his new job he could not only tell them about wearing clogs but also advise them advise the how to look after them too.

 The clogs were not very fashionable at all, comical at first glance. They were made of very tough uncomfortable leather with thick heavy metal soles etc. They were indeed real brutes! But of course they were simply made for life in the mill or factory and fit for that purpose only.

 The two boys had no experience of working life within the factory but both the ex-chargehand and the cobbler knew what the two boys would be facing and so together they created the very best clogs they could. The ex-chargehand delivered the new clogs to the boys.

 The first boy, Harry, took one look at his clogs and started laughing about them. He tried them on and found them very uncomfortable indeed and he felt they felt too big. The ex-chargehand stressed their importance and tried to give advice, but Harry thought he’d been shortchanged by the cobbler, and after the ex-chargehand left, Harry simply threw the clogs down the steps into his damp cellar, vowing never to wear them until he was forced to start at the factory.

 The other boy, Tommy, also received his clogs and he too tried them on and they felt very uncomfortable and too big. The ex-chargehand also give Tommy advice, but Tommy unlike Harry knew the old ex-chargehand was experienced and wouldn’t have delivered the clogs or given advice if he didn’t believe the clogs would help him. So, instead of laughing he decided to take the advice and when the ex-chargehand left he immediately tried to break them in. He decided to wear them just for a short while everyday and rub dubbing on them and polish them. He cared about his clogs and took the advice.

 It wasn’t too long before the clogs felt much easier to walk and more comfortable on Tommy’s feet. They didn’t feel too big after all.

 The day came when Harry and Tommy had to face daily life in the dreaded factory. Harry went down his damp cellar, where he had previously thrown his clogs, and he found them all damp and covered in mold. He hastily tried them on finding them even more uncomfortable and ugly than when he first saw them. He laughed even more about his clogs and he decided they were useless, indeed he found his clogs so uncomfortable and smelly that he simply wouldn’t and couldn’t wear them.

 On the other hand Tommy’s clogs were fine and he simply felt at ease in them and used them without giving them as second thought.

Harry decided to wear his nice fashionable Sunday best snazzy shoes at the factory instead. They fit nicely and looked so trendy and attractive, they made Harry feel good he thought they made him look better too.

 Harry saw Tommy wearing his clogs whilst they were clocking on and entering the factory to work, and pointed and laughed at Tommy’s clogs and giggled at and mocked Tommy for wearing them. But Tommy didn’t mind he still trusted both the clogs and the advice from the ex-chargehand.

 A few months later, when both boys were working away on the night shift in the factory, all of a sudden out of the blue, there was a massive BANG and A Flash, and all the power went off leaving the room in darkness. A massive Acid Tank had split in the explosion and a large flow of Acid was pouring out of the tank and it flooded the entire factory floor in seconds, in the mayhem no one knew what to do. Screams of panic hit the air but then the rescue services appeared at the emergency doors, pleading with the workers to approach them in the darkness and find the emergency exit doors, whilst waving torches to guide them.

 Tommy heard the pleas and saw the torches and simply strode away towards the rescuers. His clogs literally helped him exit the factory securing his escape and the acid from the acid tank did not ever affect him

 Harry heard the rescuers pleas but could not react to them because his snazzy shoes had melted. He couldn’t see the torches or the exit doors because he was too busy looking at and trying to repair and protect his feet and footwear

His clogs were still in his dark damp cellar, still moldy, unfitting and unwanted, his snazzy shoes he thought beautiful and trendy were in reality, when it mattered, worthless and useless.

He wasn’t able to walk anywhere ever again. 

 Tommy later visited the cobbler’s shop and the cobbler came out of hiding from his workshop and simply smiled at him, presenting him with the snazziest, bestest and shiniest shoes ever made!

I say to those with two eyes and two ears that still can show their face… “use all four of them!”

 Matthew Delooze July 2015.

www.oneballmedia.com (please don’t steal the work from this website.)

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 The parable above has many meanings but whatever meaning you can see in it, that meaning is sent with love and to help.