Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 5
August 27, 1953
NUMBER 16, PAGE 6a

Joe And Moe — Two Cannibals

Jack G. Dunn, Shelbyville, Tennessee

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. (Galatians 5:14b,15)

This passage reminds us of the fable about Joe and Moe.

Joe and Moe were cannibals. Their feats of prowess, and their skill with weapons were legendary. Neither had ever been known to return from a hunt without the kill. Their human victims, it was said, were numbered by the hundred each year.

Joe used the bow and arrow. He simply did not miss. With every twang of his bowstring the human race lost one of its members.

Because of his very skill other tribesmen were afraid of him. They never knew when his hungry eyes might turn on them. He had nobody, therefore, with whom he could sit down as friend with friend, and devour his victims.

Nobody, that is, except Moe. For Moe was just as accurate with his spear as Joe with his arrows. He never missed. So the two became great friends, and ate their prey together.

Feasting so frequently on such great carnage, both men began to fleshen up, and then other tribesmen noticed the change in their attitude toward each other. Each began to look at the other with increasing favor. One might say they hungered for each other.

One day, when Joe was hunting in Devil's Canyon, Moe was seen leaving in that direction, spear in hand. But Joe had his trusted bow and arrow. The question among the tribesmen was: who would succumb, Joe or Moe? One or the other had to die.

Remember, both were armed, and neither ever missed. And now the former friends were stalking each other. For several days, other tribesmen were afraid to go into Devil's Canyon. Each was afraid that Joe might mistake him for Moe, or that Moe might mistake him for Joe. So they continued to wonder who would survive, Joe or Moe.

Finally, out of insatiable curiosity, some tribal scouts ventured in. And all they found, there in Devil's Canyon was a burned campfire, two skeletons, and two napkins.