Celebration of the Public Domain

Two public domain characters talking about two public domain books. Publicly.

Once upon a time in the Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie the Pooh and Sherlock Holmes met to discuss economics. Pooh had just finished reading "Das Kapital" by Karl Marx and was eager to share his ideas with his friend. On the other hand, Sherlock Holmes had just finished reading "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith, and was equally eager to share his views.

"Pooh, my dear friend," said Sherlock Holmes, "Adam Smith has shown us that the key to a thriving economy is the division of labor and the invisible paw of the market."

"But, Holmes," replied Pooh, "Karl Marx has shown us that the worker bears are exploited by the capitalist bears, who take the majority of the honey for themselves. The only way to ensure a fair economy is for the worker bears to own the things they make, as in a communist system."

Sherlock Holmes raised an eyebrow. "Pooh, you are mistaken. If the market is left alone, it will naturally adjust to ensure that everyone is getting a fair share of the honey."

Pooh thought for a moment. "But what if the capitalist bears are greedy, and they hoard the honey?"

"In that case," said Sherlock Holmes, "competition from other bears will drive prices down and ensure that the honey is shared fairly."

Pooh was still unsure. "But what about the worker bears? They still won't own the things they make."

"Ah, Pooh," said Sherlock Holmes with a smile. "That's where entrepreneurship comes in. If the worker bears are given the freedom to innovate and create, they too can become capitalist bears and own the things they make."

Pooh thought about what Sherlock Holmes had said, and slowly nodded his head. "I see what you mean, Holmes. It's a complicated issue, but perhaps a mix of both ideas would work best."

And so, Winnie the Pooh and Sherlock Holmes agreed to continue their discussions on economics, always searching for the best solution for the fair distribution of honey in the Hundred Acre Wood.

The end.