A short while later he was sold, with a number of fellow-slabs, to a manufacturer. He was cut, forged, tampered, machined on a lathe and finally polished. The process seemed endless but eventually he was pleased when he was assembled into an engine for a washing-machine. He was installed in a steel casing with an aluminium drum which was his responsibility to drive. The casing was sprayed a gleaming enamel white. At last, he was a finished product.

He was shipped to a retailer and was polished until he was glowing. He was photographed and even filmed with pretty actresses for advertisements. He was given a certificate of guarantee, promising the public that he could satisfactorily perform all that was claimed on the certificate. He was very proud of himself and looked forward with excitement to the day he would enter active service.

The servants' first reaction to him was one of admiration and appreciation. They put him to the test immediately and found the result of his labour more than satisfactory. Furthermore, the job was done quickly and required very little work on the part of the servants. He was very happy with himself and thought this would enhance his favour with them. But this was not so. The servants, instead, felt uneasy: "Does this mean the mistress is indicating to us that she is no longer satisfied with our work? Are we getting too old for her liking? Will this machine soon deprive one of us of a job?"

Soon their admiration and joy turned to resentment and dislike. They decided not to use him anymore. For well over a month he remained unused. He began to worry whether he would start, let alone work smoothly. His day of trial eventually came when the mistress discovered that he had been left idle. She insisted that he be put to use again. He gave a sigh of relief when he started easily enough. However, the servants reacted to his well-being with a vengeance. They loaded him to the full capacity twice every day. Beside everyday laundry, he was often used to take on heavy curtains, couch covers and large bed spreads. The strain put on him soon began to show its effects. His electrical wiring occasionally short-circuited while his plumbing developed minor leaks here and there. He was tired and badly needed repair and a rest.

The mistress rang the agent and asked their service department to send someone to have a look at him. When the maintenance man arrived, he opened him up and gave him a thorough inspection, noting down all that needed repair or replacement. After he had completed his examination he quoted the mistress a price for the job. The repair cost was considerable and the mistress thought it was a bit too much, especially since her free repair warranty had expired a month ago. The man agreed with her and suggested that she would save money in the long-run if she traded in the machine for a new one. He showed her catalogues for their new and improved models, explaining persuasively the many innovations introduced in the new models. They were "computerised" and had many different "automatic programmes" for different materials. They also came in many pastel colours. She asked him to wait while she discussed it with her husband. When she came back she was smiling and told the man to send for a salesman.

The old machine was moved to a workshop away from the city. There he was stripped down completely, washed, cleaned and reassembled. He was completely rewired and his rubber hoses were replaced. He was given a new coat of enamel paint. After all this he felt refreshed and as good as new.

He was placed in a shop window and marked for sale at less than half the price of a new machine even though outwardly he looked just as good. He thought he was worth more, considering his experience and the time spent in preparing himself for service.

A farmer on his way up the mountain suddenly felt a drop of water falling on his forehead. He said to himself, "Strange! The sky is clear with only one hawk flying about and yet I swear I felt a drop of rain."