leverdiscoverthatIamawoman.Willthatdo?”Dimitrisighed,smiledwrylyandstooduptostretchhiscrampedarmsandlegssaying,

    “Sinceyouhavealreadymadeupyourmi’sgoandroamaroundtheworld.”

    “Oh,great,great!”saidCharinajumpiedly.“Butwhereshallwego?”

    “Roamingaroundhasnodireandnopurpose.Wejustaodateourselvestocircumstances.Sinceyouasked,whydoo…remembertherosegardehekeIoiooyou?Whydohere?Wegointothemidstoftheroses,takeoutourfoodandhaveapiicoutthereuhemoonlight.”

    “Goodidea!Goodidea!”excimedCharinainarareecstaticmood.“Whatarewewaitingfor?Let’sgetgoing!”

    Thetwoofthemwentontheirwaytalkingandughing,theirjollyandmirthfulversationlighteningupthelonelyroad.Althoughitwase,nowthatthepeaktraffichourswereoverandtheofficeworkershadallgonehome,carsarianswerefewandfarbetween.CharinapushedhershoppingcartandDimitriwalkedalongwithhislefthandhtshoulderaeeinhisotherhandlightlytappingalltheway.CleverlittleMaureenerchedinthebabyseatoftheshoppingcart,happilylookingalroundatthestreets.

    12

    “Whydon’tyouletMaureenwalkonhisown?”askedDimitri.“Thatwouldgivehimmoreexercise.”

    “Ithinkhe’shadenoughexercise”repliedCharina.“ItookoffhisleadlethimrunaroundfreelyoreetslookingforyouwhileIfollowedclosebehind,alwayskeepingmyeyesonhiswhereabouts.ApoliansawthatMaureenwasnotonaleadthoughtitwasathreattothepassersby,soshegavemeaticket.Wasn’tthattheworstofluck?ItriedtoexpihatMaureenwasthecleverestaestofdogsthatwouldneverhurtasoul,butshewouldn’tlistenandinsistedonwritiicket.Wasn’tthatabsurd?Iamsoangry.Ithinkthepolicehaveimpededonmypersonalfreedom!”

    “Oh?”saidDimitri.“PerhapsIamsousedtomynomadlife,leisurelyandcarefree,secludedfromtheworldthatIhavefottenthereissuchathingaswandorder.heless,Iwouldriflewiththew.”

    “Don’tyouthinkthepolianoverdiditandimpededmypersonalfreedom?”arguedCharina.“Iagreethatsocietyneedswstoprotectpublicorder,butpublicservantswhilecarryingouttheirduties,akeintoaitigatingcircumstaakeacleverlittledoglikeMaureenforexample.Everyonelovesit!Howcouldsuchalovablelittledogbiteandhurtpeople?Don’tyouthinkthepolianwastidindealingwiththis?Sheshouldhavebeenmoreflexible.Shepokedherowhat’snoneofherbusinessandimpededonmypersonalfreedom”

    “Ohno,no”disagreedDimitri.“Lawisopreservesocialorder,ortherewouldbechaos.Onceawisestablisheditshouldbeupheldwithnoexceptions.Theregutionthatdogsmustbeonaleashoreetsunderhumansupervisionisreasonableandlogical.Siisthew,wemustupholdit.Otherwisehumansocietywilldeterioratebacktothetimeofjuhousandsofyearsago,whereonlythestrosurvivedandtheweakwerethepreyofthestrong.Wewouldbebacktouncivilizedprimitivesociety.Wouldyouliketogobacktosuchtimesandlivealwaysinfearanday?”

    “ButIstillthinkthepolittoofarandimpededmypersonalfreedom”insistedthepoutingCharina.“Ifeelthatanarchismismoremycupoftea.”Dimitrismiledaonpatiently,

    “Whatisfreedom?Whatisthetruemeaningoffreedom?Tomymind,freedomisnotwithoutlimitaraint.Freedomwithoutrestraintandlimitbeesunbridledindulgendgratificationandlosesitstruemeaning.”Hestoppedforamomentasiftocollecthisthought

leverdiscoverthatIamawoman.Willthatdo?”Dimitrisighed,smiledwrylyandstooduptostretchhiscrampedarmsandlegssaying,

    “Sinceyouhavealreadymadeupyourmi’sgoandroamaroundtheworld.”

    “Oh,great,great!”saidCharinajumpiedly.“Butwhereshallwego?”

    “Roamingaroundhasnodireandnopurpose.Wejustaodateourselvestocircumstances.Sinceyouasked,whydoo…remembertherosegardehekeIoiooyou?Whydohere?Wegointothemidstoftheroses,takeoutourfoodandhaveapiicoutthereuhemoonlight.”

    “Goodidea!Goodidea!”excimedCharinainarareecstaticmood.“Whatarewewaitingfor?Let’sgetgoing!”

    Thetwoofthemwentontheirwaytalkingandughing,theirjollyandmirthfulversationlighteningupthelonelyroad.Althoughitwase,nowthatthepeaktraffichourswereoverandtheofficeworkershadallgonehome,carsarianswerefewandfarbetween.CharinapushedhershoppingcartandDimitriwalkedalongwithhislefthandhtshoulderaeeinhisotherhandlightlytappingalltheway.CleverlittleMaureenerchedinthebabyseatoftheshoppingcart,happilylookingalroundatthestreets.

    12

    “Whydon’tyouletMaureenwalkonhisown?”askedDimitri.“Thatwouldgivehimmoreexercise.”

    “Ithinkhe’shadenoughexercise”repliedCharina.“ItookoffhisleadlethimrunaroundfreelyoreetslookingforyouwhileIfollowedclosebehind,alwayskeepingmyeyesonhiswhereabouts.ApoliansawthatMaureenwasnotonaleadthoughtitwasathreattothepassersby,soshegavemeaticket.Wasn’tthattheworstofluck?ItriedtoexpihatMaureenwasthecleverestaestofdogsthatwouldneverhurtasoul,butshewouldn’tlistenandinsistedonwritiicket.Wasn’tthatabsurd?Iamsoangry.Ithinkthepolicehaveimpededonmypersonalfreedom!”

    “Oh?”saidDimitri.“PerhapsIamsousedtomynomadlife,leisurelyandcarefree,secludedfromtheworldthatIhavefottenthereissuchathingaswandorder.heless,Iwouldriflewiththew.”

    “Don’tyouthinkthepolianoverdiditandimpededmypersonalfreedom?”arguedCharina.“Iagreethatsocietyneedswstoprotectpublicorder,butpublicservantswhilecarryingouttheirduties,akeintoaitigatingcircumstaakeacleverlittledoglikeMaureenforexample.Everyonelovesit!Howcouldsuchalovablelittledogbiteandhurtpeople?Don’tyouthinkthepolianwastidindealingwiththis?Sheshouldhavebeenmoreflexible.Shepokedherowhat’snoneofherbusinessandimpededonmypersonalfreedom”

    “Ohno,no”disagreedDimitri.“Lawisopreservesocialorder,ortherewouldbechaos.Onceawisestablisheditshouldbeupheldwithnoexceptions.Theregutionthatdogsmustbeonaleashoreetsunderhumansupervisionisreasonableandlogical.Siisthew,wemustupholdit.Otherwisehumansocietywilldeterioratebacktothetimeofjuhousandsofyearsago,whereonlythestrosurvivedandtheweakwerethepreyofthestrong.Wewouldbebacktouncivilizedprimitivesociety.Wouldyouliketogobacktosuchtimesandlivealwaysinfearanday?”

    “ButIstillthinkthepolittoofarandimpededmypersonalfreedom”insistedthepoutingCharina.“Ifeelthatanarchismismoremycupoftea.”Dimitrismiledaonpatiently,

    “Whatisfreedom?Whatisthetruemeaningoffreedom?Tomymind,freedomisnotwithoutlimitaraint.Freedomwithoutrestraintandlimitbeesunbridledindulgendgratificationandlosesitstruemeaning.”Hestoppedforamomentasiftocollecthisthought