Estoy oyendo H.M.S. Pinafore de Gilbert y Sullivan y he llegado a la canción de sir Joseph, «When I was a lad». Sir Joseph, primer lord del almirantazgo, manda sobre toda la marina inglesa a pesar de ser un absoluto incompetente. Pues bien, muchos años antes de que se formulase el principio de Peter, esos señores ya lo habían expresado en una canción. El propio sir Joseph va contando cómo llegó a su puesto. Unos ejemplos:
When I was a lad I served a term
As office boy to an Attorney’s firm.
I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor,
And I polished up the handle of the big front door.I polished up that handle so carefullee
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee!I grew so rich that I was sent
By a pocket borough into Parliament.
I always voted at my party’s call,
And I never thought of thinking for myself at all.I thought so little, they rewarded me
By making me the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee!
Y su consejo final está claro:
Now landsmen all, whoever you may be,
If you want to rise to the top of the tree,
If your soul isn’t fettered to an office stool,
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule.Stick close to your desks and never go to sea,
And you all may be rulers of the Queen’s Navee!
La tengo en DVD, pero no he tenido ocasión de verla.