Se os tubarões fossem homens
Se os tubarões fossem homens,
eles seriam mais gentís com os peixes pequenos. Se os tubarões fossem homens,
eles fariam construir resistentes caixas do mar, para os peixes pequenos com
todos os tipos de alimentos dentro, tanto vegetais, quanto animais. Eles
cuidariam para que as caixas tivessem água sempre renovada e adotariam todas as
providências sanitárias cabíveis se por exemplo um peixinho ferisse a barbatana,
imediatamente ele faria uma atadura a fim de que não moressem antes do tempo.
Para que os peixinhos não ficassem tristonhos, eles dariam cá e lá uma festa
aquática, pois os peixes alegres tem gosto melhor que os tristonhos.
Naturalmente também haveria
escolas nas grandes caixas, nessas aulas os peixinhos aprenderiam como nadar
para a guela dos tubarões. Eles aprenderiam, por exemplo a usar a geografia, a
fim de encontrar os grandes tubarões, deitados preguiçosamente por aí. Aula
principal seria naturalmente a formação moral dos peixinhos. Eles seriam
ensinados de que o ato mais grandioso e mais belo é o sacrifício alegre de um
peixinho, e que todos eles deveriam acreditar nos tubarões, sobretudo quando
esses dizem que velam pelo belo futuro dos peixinhos. Se encucaria nos peixinhos
que esse futuro só estaria garantido se aprendessem a obediência. Antes de tudo
os peixinhos deveriam guardar-se antes de qualquer inclinação baixa,
materialista, egoísta e marxista. E denunciaria imediatamente os tubarões se
qualquer deles manifestasse essas inclinações.
Se os tubarões fossem homens,
eles naturalmente fariam guerra entre si a fim de conquistar caixas de peixes e
peixinhos estrangeiros.As guerras seriam conduzidas pelos seus próprios
peixinhos. Eles ensinariam os peixinhos que, entre os peixinhos e outros
tubarões existem gigantescas diferenças. Eles anunciariam que os peixinhos são
reconhecidamente mudos e calam nas mais diferentes línguas, sendo assim
impossível que entendam um ao outro. Cada peixinho que na guerra matasse alguns
peixinhos inimigos da outra língua silenciosos, seria condecorado com uma
pequena ordem das algas e receberia o título de herói.
Se os tubarões fossem homens,
haveria entre eles naturalmente também uma arte, haveria belos quadros, nos
quais os dentes dos tubarões seriam pintados em vistosas cores e suas guelas
seriam representadas como inocentes parques de recreio, nas quais se poderia
brincar magnificamente. Os teatros do fundo do mar mostrariam como os valorosos
peixinhos nadam entusiasmados para as guelas dos tubarões.A música seria tão
bela, tão bela, que os peixinhos sob seus acordes e a orquestra na frente,
entrariam em massa para as guelas dos tubarões sonhadores e possuídos pelos mais
agradáveis pensamentos. Também haveria uma religião ali.
Se os tubarões fossem homens,
eles ensinariam essa religião. E só na barriga dos tubarões é que começaria
verdadeiramente a vida.
Ademais, se os tubarões fossem homens, também acabaria a
igualdade que hoje existe entre os peixinhos, alguns deles obteriam cargos e
seriam postos acima dos outros. Os que fossem um pouquinho maiores poderiam
inclusive comer os menores, isso só seria agradáv
el aos tubarões, pois eles
mesmos obteriam assim mais constantemente maiores bocados para devorar. E os
peixinhos maiores que deteriam os cargos valeriam pela ordem entre os peixinhos
para que estes chegassem a ser, professores, oficiais, engenheiros da construção
de caixas e assim por diante.
Curto e grosso, só então haveria civilização no
mar, se os tubarões fossem homens.
Bertold Brecht
"Se os tubarões fossem homens" de Bertold Bretch
If Sharks were Men
"If sharks were men," Mr. Keuner was asked by his landlady's little girl, "would they be nicer to the little fishes?"
"Certainly," he said. "If sharks were men, they would build enormous boxes in the ocean for the little fish, with all kinds of food inside, both vegetable and animal. They would take care that the boxes always had fresh water, and in general they would make all kinds of sanitary arrangements. If, for example, a little fish were to injure a fin, it would immediately be bandaged, so that it would not die and be lost to the sharks before its time. So that the little fish would not become melancholy, there would be big water festivals from time to time; because cheerful fish taste better than melancholy ones.
"There would, of course, also be schools in the big boxes. In these schools the little fish would learn how to swim into the sharks' jaws. They would need to know geography, for example, so that they could find the big sharks, who lie idly around somewhere. The principal subject would, of course, be the moral education of the little fish. They would be taught that it would be the best and most beautiful thing in the world if a little fish sacrificed itself cheerfully and that they all had to believe the sharks, especially when the latter said they were providing for a beautiful future. The little fish would be taught that this future is assured only if they learned obedience. The little fish had to beware of all base, materialist, egotistical and Marxist inclinations, and if one of their number betrayed such inclinations they had to report it to the sharks immediately.
"If sharks were men, they would, of course, also wage wars against one another, in order to conquer other fish boxes and other little fish. The wars would be waged by their own little fish. They would teach their little fish that there was an enormous difference between themselves and the little fish belonging to the other sharks. Little fish, they would announce, are well known to be mute, but they are silent in quite different languages and hence find it impossible to understand one another. Each little fish that, in a war, killed a couple of other little fish, enemy ones, silent in their own language, would have a little order made of seaweed pinned to it and be awarded the title of hero.
"If sharks were men, there would, of course, also be art. There would be beautiful pictures, in which the sharks' teeth would be portrayed in magnificent colors and their jaws as pure pleasure gardens, in which one could romp about splendidly. The theaters at the bottom of the sea would show heroic little fish swimming enthusiastically into the jaws of sharks, and the music would be so beautiful that to the accompaniment of its sounds, the orchestra leading the way, the little fish would stream dreamily into the sharks' jaws, lulled by the most agreeable thoughts.
"There would also be a religion, if sharks were men. It would preach that little fish only really begin to live properly in the sharks' stomachs.
"Furthermore, if sharks were men there would be an end to all little fish being equal, as is the case now. Some would be given important offices and be placed above the others. Those who were a little bigger would even be allowed to eat up the smaller ones. That would be altogether agreeable for the sharks, since they themselves would more often get bigger bites to eat. And the bigger little fish, occupying their posts, would ensure order among the little fish, become teachers, officers, engineers in box construction, etc.
"In short, if sharks were men, they would for the first time bring culture to the ocean."
Bertold Brecht
