How the Schildburgers Built a New Town Hall and What They Forgot in the Process

Having delivered the logs to the site, the Schildburgers set about building the town hall with such fervor that anyone who saw them would have thought, "Indeed, they are not engaged in a trivial task!" Three days passed, and all three main walls (they had built their town hall with three corners as a jest) were complete.

Then the townsfolk climbed up and secured the rafters. All that remained was to lay the roof.

Pleased with their progress, they all headed together to that hospitable house where the host shaves his guests without scissors, and they ended the workday with a great bout of drinking, again at the community's expense.

The next day, as soon as the bell rang (no one was allowed to start work without it), they gathered at the town hall and began laying the roof.

They formed a chain: one at the very top, others on the ladder, and some on the ground—all the way to the pile of tiles. Each tile, passing from hand to hand, eventually reached the Schildburger who was laying the roof.

But soon the bell rang again, calling everyone to a new expedition—to the tavern! Hearing the bell, the Schildburgers dropped the tiles and raced off (if you don't run, you won't win!) straight to lunch. They ran like barnyard geese—those who are most afraid of missing out on water in their trough.

But it turned out that the one who had been last in the chain was the first to reach the tavern and took the best spot, the one farthest from the entrance, and when it was time to return to work, he would have the advantage.

After paying their respects to the feast, the Schildburgers returned to the town hall to solemnly consecrate it and then, on behalf of all jesters and fools, to test how it would be to conduct great jesterly business within.

They entered in an orderly fashion, only to find—utter darkness! The Schildburgers were quite frightened, but they began to ponder and wonder why it was so dark in the town hall. Had they perhaps made some oversight or mistake during construction? Had they scared away the bright sun? And where had it hidden now? Or was something preventing it from entering the jester's chambers?

They thought and pondered, then stepped outside to look at their handiwork from the street: perhaps some flaw would reveal itself?

However, all three walls were solidly built, with no visible flaws. And here, on the street, the sun was shining brightly, and the Schildburgers noticed no flaws in it either.

Then they returned to the town hall, but there they truly found no defects—except for the absence of light.

What more is there to say? No matter how much they racked their foolish brains, the reason for the darkness remained a mystery to them.

Great fear gripped the Schildburgers, and for the sake of the matter, they once again called out, "Everyone to the meeting!"

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How the Schildburgers Built a New Town Hall and What They Forgot in the Process

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