Study 1 – Control Parable Condition

Once upon a time there was a hare who, boasting how he could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing tortoise for its slowness. Then one day, the irate tortoise answered back: "Who do you think you are? There's no denying you're swift, but even you can be beaten!" The hare squealed with laughter.

"Beaten in a race? By whom? Not you, surely! I bet there's nobody in the world that can win against me, I'm so speedy. Now, why don't you try?"

Annoyed by such bragging, the tortoise accepted the challenge. A course was planned, and the next day at dawn they stood at the starting line. The hare yawned sleepily as the meek tortoise trudged slowly off. When the hare saw how painfully slow his rival was, he decided, half asleep on his feet, to have a quick nap. "Take your time!" he said. "I'll have forty winks and catch up with you in a minute."

The hare woke with a start from a fitful sleep and gazed round, looking for the tortoise. But the creature was only a short distance away, having barely covered a third of the course. Breathing a sigh of relief, the hare decided he might as well have breakfast too, and off he went to munch some cabbages he had noticed in a nearby field.

But the heavy meal and the hot sun made his eyelids droop. With a careless glance at the tortoise, now halfway along the course, he decided to have another snooze before flashing past the winning post. And smiling at the thought of the look on the tortoise's face when it saw the hare speed by, he fell fast asleep and was soon snoring happily.

The sun started to sink below the horizon, and the tortoise, who had been plodding towards the winning post since morning, was scarcely a yard from the finish. At that very point, the hare woke with a jolt. He could see the tortoise as a speck in the distance and away he dashed. He leapt and bounded at a great rate, his tongue lolling, and gasping for breath.

Just a little more and he'd be first at the finish. But the hare's last leap was just too late, for the tortoise had beaten him to the winning post. Poor hare! Tired and in disgrace, he slumped down beside the tortoise who was silently smiling at him.

"Slow and steady wins the race!" said the tortoise.

Study 1 – Meaning Threat Parable Condition

The Emperor has sent a message to you, the humble subject, the insignificant shadow cowering in the remotest distance before the Imperial Sun. The Emperor from His throne has sent a message to you alone.

He has commanded the messenger to kneel down before the throne and has whispered the message to Him. It is so important that He has ordered the messenger to whisper it back again into his ear. Then, by a nod of the head, He has confirmed that it is right.

Yes, before the assembled spectators - all the obstructing walls have been broken down and on the spacious and open staircases stand a ring of the great princes of the Empire - before all these He has delivered His message.

The messenger immediately sets out on his journey - a powerful, tireless man. Now pushing with his right arm, now with his left, he cleaves a way for himself through the throng. If he encounters resistance he points to his breast where the symbol of the Sun glitters. The way is made easier for him than it would be for any other man.

But the multitudes are so vast. Their numbers have no end. If he could reach the open fields how fast he would fly, and soon doubtless you would hear the welcoming hammering of his fist on your door. But instead how vainly does he wear out his strength.

Still he is only making his way through the chambers of the innermost palace. Never will he get to the end of them, and if he succeeded in that nothing would be gained.

He must next fight his way down the stair, and if he succeeded in that nothing would be gained. The courts would still have to be crossed, and after the courts the second outer palace, and once more stairs and courts, and once more another palace, and so on for thousands of years.

And if at last he should burst through the outermost gate - but never, never can that happen - the Imperial capital would lie before him, the center of the world, crammed and bursting. Nobody could fight his way through here even with a message from an Emperor.

Study 2 – Punch Line Joke Condition

At the Zoo

One day an out of work mime is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zoo keeper grabs him and drags him into his office. The zoo keeper explains to the mime that the zoo's most popular attraction, a gorilla, has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one. The mime accepts.

So the next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd arrives. He discovers that it's a great job. He can sleep all he wants, play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime. However, eventually the crowds tire of him and he tires of just swinging on tires.

He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition, and dangles from the top to the lion's cage. Of course, this makes the lion furious, but the crowd loves it.

At the end of the day the zoo keeper comes and gives the mime a raise for being such a good attraction. Well, this goes on for some time, the mime keeps taunting the lion, the crowds grow larger, and his salary keeps going up. Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the furious lion he slips and falls. The mime is terrified.

The lion gathers itself and prepares to pounce. The mime is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind. Finally, the mime starts screaming and yelling, "Help! Help me!", but the lion is quick and pounces. The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, "Shut up or you’ll get us both fired!"

Study 2 – Expected Biggles Condition

In 1974, the Monty Python comedy group published a book called “The Brand New Monty Python Papperbok.”

In the the book there is a story called “Biggles: Pioneer Air Fighter.”

This story is an absurd parody of combat adventure stories, and is meant to be a joke.

Biggles Pioneer Air Fighter

By Monty Python

Squadron-Leader Bigglesworth walked purposefully across the tarmac. It was a cold, grey November morning and a mist was drifting across the desolate airfield.

Biggles clambered onto the wing of the waiting Jupiter and lowered himself into the cockpit.

"Weather looks dicey," observed Ginger dryly.

"The sooner we take off the better," murmured Algy, "I'd rather see this thick fog from topside."

"Shut up, the pair of you," snapped Biggles, "and hand me a cigarette."

"Oh, you're not going to smoke, are you Biggles?" queried Algy.

"It's such an awful smell," added Ginger ruefully.

Lighting up briskly, Biggles slammed the Jupiter into full throttle and taxied into the drifting mist.

Suddenly he was airborne.

Algy breathed a sigh of relief and eased himself out of the co-pilot's seat.

"Oh, it's so hot in here," Algy declared evenly.

He began to unzip his flying jacket and soon stood naked in the faint glow of the altimeter.

Ginger blushed hotly.

Algy returned his blush curtly.

Biggles also turned red and threw the twin- engine Jupiter into a tight turn over the airfield.

"Does my body offend you, Biggles?" queried Algy sharply.

Biggles said nothing. His drug-ravaged features showed no glimmer of emotion.

His lips were set, his dilated pupils looked neither to right nor left and his hands gripped the stiff joystick.

Suddenly out of the clouds directly ahead of them Ginger glimpsed the red flash of the German fighter.

"Look, it's the Red Baron!" he cried excitedly.

"Get off my lap, Algy," murmured Biggles curtly.

"Shan't," returned Algy, teasingly.

"He's flying at us out of the sun!" yelled Ginger anxiously.

"Put your bloody trousers on, Ginger," ordered Biggles grimly.

But it was too late. Von Richthofen flew nearer and nearer. Soon he appeared in the cockpit.

"My God, we're done for!" screamed Ginger.

"Aha! All ready are we?" shouted von Richthofen, tearing off his own flying suit.

“May I steer your joystick for a while, Biggles?” asked Richthofen forcefully.

Biggles said nothing, but allowed the Red Baron to handle his controls.

By this time, Ginger was also naked as he guided his joystick.

Soon the little Jupiter monoplane powered by two 770 h.p. Cyclone engines was rocking from side to side as the dastardly German had his way with the naked, drug- crazed British lads.

Study 2 – Unexpected Biggles Condition

Major James Bigglesworth, better known in flying circles as "Biggles", is a fictional pilot and adventurer created by W. E. Johns. He first appeared in the story "The White Fokker", published in the first issue of Popular Flying magazine. The first collection of Biggles stories, The Camels are Coming, was published in 1932.

In his first appearance, Biggles was a fighter pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during World War I. He joined the RFC in 1916 at the young age of 17, having conveniently "lost" his birth certificate. The original Biggles stories were based on Johns' experience — and stories he had heard from other pilots — during his time in France.

Biggles was supposedly based on Cyril Lowe. While the purpose of the Biggles stories was to entertain young men, they paid attention to historical detail and helped recreate the primitive days of early air combat — when most pilots died in their first combat and before devices such as respirators and parachutes had become practical.

Biggles has a small team of friends including Algy (Algernon Lacey), Ginger (Hebblethwaite) and Bertie (Lord Bertie Lissie), who share many of his adventures as pilots in the Special Air Police. Biggles' greatest opponent is the German pilot Baron Von Richthofen.

Biggles Pioneer Air Fighter (1944)

By Capt. W.E. Johns