The Children of Omelos

A child lives in an omelos tool room and is fed half a bowl of cornmeal every day. The people at the door never say anything, but the child sometimes speaks. It says: I will be good, it says, please let me out. But they never answer. They all know that their happiness depends on this child's abominable misery. This is usually explained to children when they are between eight and 12. If the child were brought up into the sunlight, out of that vile place, if it were cleaned and fed and comforted, that would be a good thing indeed. But if it were done in that day and hour, all the prosperity and beauty and