"O Father Mael, I think it right that each should contribute to the
public expenses and to the support of the Church, on my part I am ready
to give up all that I possess in the interest of my brother Penguins,
and if it were necessary I would even cheerfully part with my shirt. All
the elders of the people are ready, like me, to sacrifice their goods,
and no one can doubt their absolute devotion to their country and their
creed. We have, then, only to consider the public interest and to do
what it requires. Now, Father, what it requires, what it demands, is not
to ask much from those who possess much, for then the rich would be less
rich and the poor still poorer. The poor live on the wealth of the rich
and that is the reason why that wealth is sacred. Do not touch it, to do
so would be an uncalled for evil. You will get no great profit by taking
from the rich, for they are very few in number; on the contrary you will
strip yourself of all your resources and plunge the country into misery.
Whereas if you ask a little from each inhabitant without regard to his
wealth, you will collect enough for the public necessities and you will
have no need to enquire into each citizen's resources, a thing that
would be regarded by all as a most vexatious measure. By taxing all
equally and easily you will spare the poor, for you Will leave them
the wealth of the rich. And how could you possibly proportion taxes to
wealth? Yesterday I had two hundred oxen, to-day I have sixty, to-morrow
I shall have a hundred. Clunic has three cows, but they are thin; Nicclu
has only two, but they are fat. Which is the richer, Clunic or Nicclu?
The signs of opulence are deceitful. What is certain is that everyone
eats and drinks. Tax people according to what they consume. That would
be wisdom and it would be justice."

Thus spoke Morio amid the applause of the Elders.