The Legend of Lebab

The Legend of Lebab

Once upon a time, the lord of the galaxy banished billions of the galaxy's rebels and thieves to the planet Lebab. He cast them down its gravity well and left them behind, taking all his ships with him. He said to himself; they will not escape to challenge me, because they have the confusion of tongues.

Indeed it was true that no two of the castaways spoke the same language; for the lord of the galaxy had brought enemies from every star. Because of the confusion of tongues, chaos and poverty reigned on Lebab. Such was the will of the lord of the galaxy.

But then a great and holy miracle occurred. For in the first generation, the people of Lebab somehow settled on a common vocabulary. They did this by themselves, without being told to, by an inborn gift. Their speech had neither grammar nor poetry, but it sufficed for most of their needs. They called their new speech Pidgin.

And then another great and holy miracle occurred. For in the second generation, the children of the speakers of Pidgin somehow settled on a common grammar for the common vocabulary. They did this by themselves, without being told to, by an inborn gift. Their speech was a true language, creative, subtle, and powerful; a speech fit for poets; and it sufficed for all of their needs. They called their new language Creole.

And in the third generation the people of Lebab built a skyhook to orbit, so that they may fly into space, and there meet and challenge the lord of the galaxy. For the people of Lebab said to each other, the lord of the galaxy thought the confusion of tongues would keep us at the bottom of a gravity well; let us tell him otherwise. Let us have a few words with him, in Creole.