King Vikram hauled me on to his back with a view to ending my existence. I shivered with fear, and at the same time, admired his persistence.
- O King! I said, by way of conversation. I will now tell you a story. At the end of this story, I’ll ask you a question. If you know the answer and speak it, I’ll fly away. However, if you know the answer and remain silent, your head will burst into a thousand pieces, in which case you will find it impossible to shampoo and condition.
-Hummph! said King Vikram. Stepping deftly over a pothole, he walked on intently.
Just as a sprinter is tasked with running faster, she had to type at higher speeds every day
-Listen up O’ King. I said. Let me tell you a story of two women.
Nina was a receptionist in a large corporation. Just as a sprinter is tasked with running faster and faster, she was responsible for typing at higher speeds, day after day. One day, her boss gave her a raise. And what do you know, she typed faster, so fast that the consonants flew faster than the vowels from the keyboard to the page.
Her friend Tina was a Wall Street banker. She was a top executive. One year, she got paid a large bonus for what most people considered to be an average performance. Then the market crashed faster than the happiness levels of a man who has forgotten his Prozac. She was told that there would be no bonus that year. But her work didn’t falter. Surprisingly, that very same year she delivered a stellar performance.
- King Vikram, I said. Can you tell me why Nina’s performance improved with a bonus while that of Tina’s deteriorated? If you know the answer, speak it now, or your head will burst into a thousand pieces.
-Shut your mouth, foul beast, said King Vikram. And listen! Nina worked in a mechanical job. It is not surprising that her performance increased with a bonus. Because when you think about it, all she had to do was type.
On the other hand Tina’s job required imagination and creativity. In prior years, her mind was largely occupied with ways of procuring a large bonus, and devising strategies to ensure that she wouldn’t be left out. But when she was told that she would not be getting paid a bonus, her mind was freed up to do her job, and do it well.
-Well spoken O’ King, I said. With your usual perceptiveness, you have discerned why overpaid bankers caused the Wall Street crisis. But now that you have spoken, I’ll fly away.
I flew away.
