The Wisdom of the Melon

Plucky little melon! I said, admiringly.

Mmmm, said Pliny the Elder, looking bemused. How a melon could write you a letter I cannot quite fathom. But the quality of the spelling indicates it is genuine. Interesting, its stoicism and its strong belief in destiny.

Yes, I said. By the way, did you know the ancient Sumerians made a distinction between fate and destiny? They believed that Destiny or NAM, was unalterable, but that Fate, or NAM-TAR, could be changed by the actions of men.

Well that appears to be what the melon believes, said Pliny. Perhaps it is a Sumerian melon. However, Nietzsche would have it otherwise. He believed that Fate was unalterable, but that it was possible for a man to take control of his own Destiny.

Goodness, I said, they both sound quite plausible, don't they. Perhaps that is because Fate and Destiny really are interchangeable.

In that case, said Pliny, how could one be alterable and the other unalterable?

Easily, I said. One equates to what has not yet happened, and the other to what has already happened.

That is good, said Pliny, but the question remains as to which is which. Of course it is always possible that NAM could equally well have been translated as Fate, and NAM-TAR as Destiny. Who is to say? In any case, I should not like to have to explain it to the melon.