it that way, but it sounds much nicer merely to speak of
equality."

"Put it any way you like, I want to get the job done and get back to my
dog. He is faithful enough, but I don't like to put too much strain on
fidelity. Now, as I get it, you want this world peopled with rational
beings that are all alike. I am ready to make them, only what kind do
you want--something like yourself?"

"No! no! not like me, for I am a weak and selfish fence-straddler.
Moreover, I am too modest to be used as a prototype for the members of a
perfect world."

"Worse than that, you are a ghost and immaterial and invisible to animal
eyes. If I filled the world with creatures like you, the animals might
walk right through them--No, we want material beings."

"Then materialize me," cried the soul in sudden eagerness.

"Hold on, if I materialize you in your present immaterial likeness, then
all the beings I am to make for this world would have to be like you or
you would be the exception and spoil the equality."

"That is so," admitted the soul.

"We are standing here talking like metaphysicians. If there is anything
I hate worse than philosophers, it is metaphysicians which are
philosophers bereft of what commonsense they did have. I have made this
world scientifically," continued Gud, "but the work you want done now is
a work of art, and I shall need a model. Since you refuse to be used as
a model, I will have to resort to an old trick of my profession."

Gud paused significantly and walked over to a nearby pool of water that,
having sought its level in a quiet nook, was very placid. He bent over
the pool for a moment and smiled in a pleased fashion at what he saw.
But the position was unpleasant and the ground at the edge of the pool
was damp and stained his robe where it stretched over his knees. So Gud
picked up the pool and propped it up against a rock in a nearly vertical
position.

His reflection in the propped-up pool was still more pleasing and Gud
called the soul over to him:

"I am going to use my reflection for a model," said Gud, "to fashion the
creatures you want to people this world. To try the idea out first, I am
going to re-do you in my own image."

The soul was mute with embarrassment and suffered Gud to place it upon a
hastily constructed easel. Then, glancing at his own reflection in the
propped-up pool, Gud, with a few deft strokes, redid the soul into an
image of himself.

Gud lifted the re-done soul down