Once Upon A Time…
a little princess wanted to make mud pies. But the palace wouldn’t let her because she’d get her hands all dirty.
So she sought out a little guttersnipe to make her some mud pies, which he did magnificently.
Then she told him to go away because his hands were all dirty.

A tired old fairytale?

No fairytale – if you read author John Sutherland’s article: The State of the Met.