In his derisively dystopian War with the Newts Karel Čapek, writing about newts, actually satirizes the foolish ways of mankind. Bellicose newts… What creatures are those?There is a small island… And there is a tiny bay… And it is known as Devil Bay…And what do those… devils… look like?’‘Like little children,’ the Singhalese breathed. ‘They’ve got a tail and they are this tall,’ and he indicated about four feet from the ground. ‘They stood all around me and watched what I was doing there… there was a whole ring of them around me…’ The Singhalese began to tremble.However there’s noting fiendish about this beings… They are absolutely harmless and innocent… And they are quite friendly…‘They’re entirely naked, Mr Bondy, like some kind of frog or those salamanders. And those front paws of theirs, they’re just like children’s hands, except that they have only four fingers. Poor little things,’ the captain added compassionately. ‘But extremely clever and nice animals.’Using newts for pearl diving Captain van Toch resettled them to many other islands… They multiply… And they keep learning… And tycoons even establish a special company – the Salamander Syndicate…‘The Syndicate will be looking for work for millions of Newts throughout the world. It will supply plans and ideas for control of the seas. It will promote Utopias and gigantic dreams. It will supply projects for new coasts and canals, for causeways linking the continents, for whole chains of artificial islands for transoceanic flights, for new continents to be built in the oceans. That is where mankind’s future lies.’Giving to the newts knives man taught them to defend themselves against sharks… But one day there comes a moment when the newts have to defend themselves from man…‘Here it says that near the town of Kankesanturai in Ceylon the Newts have raided a village. Seems the natives had killed some Newts there first. The police were called out as well as a company of native troops.’Tables always turn so eventually slaves turn into masters.