he Park Bench Problem

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

Lilliland is usually a quiet, well run country with not too many problems. When problems developed it was usually too much snow or too much rain, causing flooding. Sometimes lightning would strike a tree too close to the populated areas and alarm everyone.

The people in Lilliland who work in the public parks became concerned when they discovered that many of the park benches were being overturned. No sooner had the park workers replaced the benches in the normal upright position, then the following day they would be turned over again.

The problem was discussed with Baron Von Lodge. The security guards at the Lilliland Castle, in disguises, watched the park day and night. Since they were in disguise, no one noticed their presence.

On the third night, they caught the people who were turning over the benches. It was a group of six teenagers. The following day the Baron met with the teenagers and their parents in the castle assembly room to discuss the matter.

The parents were admonished for not giving the young people enough chores around their homes to keep them busy and give them a sense of responsibility. They were also required to work at the elderly citizens' center of Lilliland for sixty hours. The young people were assigned more chores to do around their homes, and they learned that the benches were for the elderly people to sit on if they wished to enjoy the Lilliland parks. The youngsters were reminded that in forty or fifty years they would be elderly and would like to enjoy the park.

No more park benches were overturned and everyone was very happy in Lilliland.