In the year 10,000 BC, the chief of the Sukka people offered 40 gold nuggets to anyone who could design the first device for allowing the easier moving of large objects. The local shyster, Bilgay, immediately piped up that he could do it, despite never having invented anything tangible in his life.
Now, near to the edge of the land of Sukka, towards the planes of dreams, lived a hermit called Ahp Mak. he had for years devoting himself to designing strange objects, but his non-conformity kept the other people at bay and he seldom had contact with any living creatures. That night, as Ahp Mak slept on the 'Behd' he had designed for himself, Bilgay crept around the area in front of Ahp Mak's cave. It was here that he did most of his building. In the centre of the area was Ahp Mak's latest creation, the 'whiil'. A round device that could, when combined with second, and joined by an 'ackshil' be used to make carrying heavy loads much easier.
Bilgay carefully noted the design and ran off chuckling into the night. The following week, he submitted to the leader, his design. He showed the world his 'wheel.' The 'wheel' was cheap and simple to use, but it would not work without the expensive 'axel'.
Flaws in the design soon showed themselves, and so, after a short period of time, Bilgay produced 'wheel version 2'. This new 'wheel' was now a hexagon rather than a square. It was also cheaper than before. Unfortunately it didn't work with the original 'axel', and so soon was released the more expensive 'axel version 2'.
'Wheel version 3' soon followed, along with the notorious 'axel version 3', which seen was redesigned as 'axel version 3.1', after 14 peasants were killed in rock moving accidents.
Come 'version 65.7', the 'wheel' and 'axel' were working pretty well, most of the time, and fatalities were down to a small percentage. Then someone strolling out by the planes of dreams, happened upon the yard of Ahp Mak. He noticed something that had been lying around the yard all these years. Something that looked very, very similar to the latest versions of 'wheel' and 'axel'. And so the people of Sukka, gathered together and killed Ahp Mak for not giving them a decent version of what they were after all those years ago, and for allowing them to make Bilgay a rich man.
Alas, there is no moral to this story. But, we would all do well to reflect on the fact that the words we use today to describe these objects are those selected by Bilgay, and not those selected by the inventor. Drive safely.
Peter More, 6/3/1997.