<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><p style="margin: 0px 0px 2px 6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098);" class="">The ABC of Security </p></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Said Mr. A to Mr. B,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"I doubt the loyalty of C."</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Said Mr. B to Mr. A,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"I'm shocked and stunned by what you say;</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">We'd better check on him today,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">And since you've brought up Mr. C,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">I feel that I must mention D.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">I rather doubt his loyalty."</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Said Mr. F to Mr. G,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"G, have you ever noticed B?</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">What do you make of his loyalty?"</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Said Mr. G to Mr. F,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"Lower your voice - people aren't deaf!</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">I wouldn't want you quoting me,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">But sure, I've always noticed B."</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Said Mr. C to Mr. A,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"I saw a funny thing today;</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">At least, it seemed quite odd to me.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">I saw F whispering with G</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">And I just caught the name of B."</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"No, really?" answered A to C.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"Well, anyway - I don't know B.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">I guess it's just as well for me."</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">And so the subtle poison spread</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Until there rose a Mr. Zed.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The lightning played around his head.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"My fellow-countrymen," he said,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"The past, as you'll observe, is dead,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The alphabet's discredited;</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">You can't trust teachers now to teach,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">You can't trust ministers to preach,</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">And it has been my special labor</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">To prove that none can trust his neighbor</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">In fact, it's amply clear to see</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">There's no one you can trust but me.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">And by a happy turn of fate</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">I've come to purify the state.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">My methods will be swift and strong</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Against the crime of thinking wrong.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">I know the cure for heresy</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">And you can leave it all to me.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Leave everything to me!" he said.</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"Hurrah!" they cried. "Hurrah for Zed!”</div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<span style="caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098); font-family: "Helvetica Neue";" class=""> E.B. White</span></div><div style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098); font-family: "Helvetica Neue";" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>(9 May, 1953)</span></div></div></body></html>