25 "Because," explained Brown Goat, "In the
Ancient Times, when the men faced most of the dangers alone more of
them were killed than women. So it was, an imbalance began to grow. You
know, in some lands, if there are too many girl babies born they kill
some. Never have our people done any such thing. So among our people
the number of men to the number of women has always been unbalanced.
26 Also, many of our women do not die in childbirth like the women of
other lands. Our Healers are wiser. And, too, though our men hate to
admit it, in ways our women are stronger.
27 Many diseases that men succumb to they survive. And women seem to
live longer than men, so all these things added together makes for more
women than men. The Great Law works in strange ways, and we do not yet
understand them all."
28 Now, Brown Goat's fame spread far and wide. There was hardly not a
person in the land who did not know his name! So when The First Speaker
announced that he would retire, a committee came to Brown Goat, asking
him to seek The First Speaker's office.
29 "Surely," argued Brown Goat, "there would be someone better for the
position. I am a man of The Gentleness, and not a fighting person. I
would be no good in a time of war."
30 "But there has been no war," objected The Committee, "for many
generations, and even in the unlikelihood that one would come, your
Warlocks could do the fighting for you."
31 "All right," agreed Brown Goat, "there is a provision in The law
that people may write down the name of someone who is not an official
candidate. I will not enter the race officially, but if the people
should elect me in this way, I will accept the office. But I will do no
campaigning. If the people really want me,