In
the year 2009 the Lord came unto Noah, who
was now living in England and
said, "Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populatedand I see the end of all flesh before me. Build
another Ark and save two of every living thing along with a few good
humans.."
He gave Noah the CAD drawings, saying, "You have 6 months to
build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40
nights."
Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in
his yard-but no Ark. "Noah!" He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is
the Ark?"
"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "but things have changed. I
needed Building Regulations Approval and I've been arguing with the Fire Brigade
about the need for a sprinkler system. My neighbours claim that I should have
obtained planning permission for building the Ark in my garden because it is
development of the site, even though in my view it is a temporary structure. We
had to then go to appeal to the Secretary of State for a decision.
Then
the Department of Transport demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of
moving power lines and other overhead obstructions to clear the passage for the
Ark 's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they
would hear nothing of it.
Getting the wood was another problem. All the
decent trees have Tree Preservation Orders on them and we live in a Site of
Special Scientific Interest set up in order to protect the spotted owl. I tried
to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls - but
no go!
When I started gathering the animals, the RSPCA sued me. They
insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the
accommodation was too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many
animals in a confined space.
Then the County Council, the Environment
Agency and the Rivers Authority ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd
conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.. I'm still
trying to resolve a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission on how
many disabled carpenter's I'm supposed to hire for my building team. The trades
unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only accredited
workers with Ark-building experience.
To make matters worse, Customs and
Excise seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally
with endangered species. So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10
years for me to finish this Ark."
Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun
began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky.
Noah looked up in
wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the
world?"
"No," said the Lord. "The British government
beat me to it."
It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases