Once upon a time, a forest where some pigs lived, caught on fire and all the pigs were roasted. People, who at that time were in the habit of eating raw meat only, tasted the roasted pigs and found them delicious.

From that time on, whenever men wanted roasted pork they set a forest on fire.

The demand for roasted pork increased and it became a big business and it generated a lot of jobs.

There were men who worked at setting the woods on fire (firemen). There were weather consultancies with experts studying and advising other companies on the best weather conditions to achieve the best roasted pigs. There were also the wind specialists who could be trained and become Certified Anemotechnicians.

Due to the many bad points of "the system" complaints grew at an increasing rate, as the system expanded to involve more and more people. It was obvious that ”the system” should be drastically changed. Thus every year there were any number of conventions, and congresses, and a considerable amount of time and effort was spent on research to find a solution.

Those who were experts on the subject put down the failure of the system to:

• a lack of discipline on the part of the pigs, who would not stay where they should
• or to the inconstant nature of fire, which was hard to control
• or to the trees, which were too green to burn well

 

One day a fireman named John Commonsense said that the problem was really very simple and easily solved. Only four steps need to be followed:

• the chosen pig had to be killed
• cleaned
• placed in the proper utensil
• placed over the fire so that it would be cooked by the effect of the heat and not by the effect of the flames.
  

The director general of roasting himself came and asked Commonsense what he had to say about the problem, and after hearing the four point idea he said:

- "What you say is absolutely right--in theory, but it won’t work in practice. What would we do with our weather experts, for instance?"
- "I don't know," answered John.
- “And what shall be done with the forests that are ready to be burned - forests of the right kind of trees needed to produce the right kind of fire, trees that have neither fruit, nor leaves enough for shade, so that they are good only for burning? What shall be done with them? Tell me!"
- "I don't know."
- “What you must bring, are realistic solutions, methods to train better wind technicians. We have to improve what we have; we cannot ignore history. So bring me a plan. That is what we need. You are lacking in good judgement, Commonsense! Tell me, if your plan is adopted, what would I do with such experts as the president of the committee to study the integral use of the remnants of the ex-forests?"
"I'm really perplexed," said John.

Poor John Commonsense didn't utter a word. Without so much as saying goodbye, stupefied with fright and puzzled by the barriers put in front of him, he went away and was never seen again.

It was never known where he went. That is why it is often said that when it comes to reforming the system, Commonsense is missing.

This is an adapted version of the original Fable of the Roasted Pigs.