The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. 26 Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the views from restaurants were picturesque beyond description.Years passed. 27 As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary being paid to the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer 28 .For several weeks, nothing changed.By early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish- brown tint in the spring. 29 Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water the banks, and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt, Swans left, as did the tourists. 30