Fish Out of Water

    There is a fable about some scientists at Smolensk University, who decided to develop a fish that could live out of water. So, shoosing some healthy red herrings, they bred, cross-bred
hormoned and chroimosomed until at length they had a fish that could live, at least exist out of water.
     The ocal commissioner was not satisified. True, the fish had survived till now on rarefield gas, but how about reactionary tendencies. They suspected the fish had a secret yen for
water.
    "You have neglected education," said he. "Start over and this time do not neglect education."   So again, they bred, crossbred, hormoned and chromonosomed, and this time they did not
neglect education--down to the smallest reflex. The result?   A red herring that would rather die than get its tail wet. The slightest suggestion of humidity filled its bodyi with dread.
Thought control had done its perfect work, and with possible exception of the red herring, everyone was happy. Surely this year's Stalin prize would go to the scientists at
Smolensk University.
    Now the world must see the trium of Soviet research. The commissioner who had thought of education must take the fishj on a tour. Somehwere in Czechoslovakia the
tragedy occured. Quite accidently, according to the official report, the red herring fell into a pool of water. Deep in the green translucent stuff it lay, eyes and gills clamped shut...afraid
to move lest it become wetter. And of course, it could not breathe--every reflex said no to that. Never did a fish so wet feel like a fish out of water. But there was nothing to
breathe. Only water. So the red herring drew a tentaitive gillfull. Its eyes bulged, it breathed again. Its jaw flew open. It flicked a fin, and then another, and wiggled with delight. Then it darted away.
The fish had discovered water.
     We were made to worship God just as the fish was made to swim and live in water. Remember Augustine's prayer to God, "Thou hast made us for thyself and we are restless until we rest in thee."