BRAGADAYJAH 177

The Pharaoh’s response to Moses’ request for time off was to severely increase the work load of the Hebrews. Lay more work upon them was Pharaoh’s orders to the task masters. So the task masters went out and addressed the people. They told them that the Pharaoh was not going to give them any time off, and no straw with which to make bricks as thitherto. It is up to you, they told them to find the straw where they could; but the end result was that they would not be allowed to slack in the amount of bricks they produce. Indeed the people were scattered abroad to gather stubble for straw, all the time being under the constant lash of the taskmasters to work faster and harder. Naturally brick production fell away; it was not humanly possible to make the same number of bricks when you had to first go about looking for straw with which to make bricks, as when the straw was supplied to you. So the task masters whipped and beat them and demanded more production. As a result the overseers of the children of Israel appeared before the Pharaoh to complain about their harsh treatment. They complained about the impossibility of making bricks without straw; they complained of the beatings and the whippings and the cruel and unusual punishment The Pharaoh’s response was to call them lazy and idle. They were idle he told them; they had too much free time on their hands, he told them; “that is why you ask for time to go to the wilderness to sacrifice to your God!” “Go from my presence, he told them; there shall no straw be given you; and yet you are expected to produce the same tally of bricks as before. Not surprisingly, having been turned away by the Pharaoh, they turned on Moses. They said, “you and your talk about the Lord, fat bit of good you have done us. All you have done is to put a sword in the hand of the Pharaoh with which to slay us.” More