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Chapter 11

Pure Competition in the Long Run

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following distinguishes the short run from the long run in pure competition?

A. Firms can enter and exit the market in the long run but not in the short run.
B. Firms attempt to maximize profits in the long run but not in the short run.
C. Firms use the MR = MC rule to maximize profits in the short run but not in the long run.
D. The quantity of labor hired can vary in the long run but not in the short run.

2. The primary force encouraging the entry of new firms into a purely competitive industry is:

A. normal profits earned by firms already in the industry.


B. economic profits earned by firms already in the industry.
C. government subsidies for start-up firms.
D. a desire to provide goods for the betterment of society.

3. In a purely competitive industry:

A. there will be no economic profits in either the short run or the long run.
B. economic profits may persist in the long run if consumer demand is strong and stable.
C. there may be economic profits in the short run but not in the long run.
D. there may be economic profits in the long run but not in the short run.

11-1
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4. Suppose a firm in a purely competitive market discovers that the price of its product is above
its minimum AVC point but everywhere below ATC. Given this, the firm:

A. minimizes losses by producing at the minimum point of its AVC curve.


B. maximizes profits by producing where MR = ATC.
C. should close down immediately.
D. should continue producing in the short run but leave the industry in the long run if the
situation persists.

5. Which of the following is true concerning purely competitive industries?

A. There will be economic losses in the long run because of cut-throat competition.
B. Economic profits will persist in the long run if consumer demand is strong and stable.
C. In the short run, firms may incur economic losses or earn economic profits, but in the long
run they earn normal profits.
D. There are economic profits in the long run but not in the short run.

6. If a purely competitive firm is producing at the MR = MC output level and earning an


economic profit, then:

A. the selling price for this firm is above the market equilibrium price.
B. new firms will enter this market.
C. some existing firms in this market will leave.
D. there must be price fixing by the industry's firms.

7. Long-run competitive equilibrium:

A. is realized only in constant-cost industries.


B. will never change once it is realized.
C. is not economically efficient.
D. results in zero economic profits.

11-2
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8. We would expect an industry to expand if firms in that industry are:

A. earning normal profits.


B. earning economic profits.
C. breaking even.
D. earning accounting profits.

9. Which of the following statements is correct?

A. Economic profits induce firms to enter an industry; losses encourage firms to leave.
B. Economic profits induce firms to leave an industry; profits encourage firms to leave.
C. Economic profits and losses have no significant impact on the growth or decline of an
industry.
D. Normal profits will cause an industry to expand.

10. Suppose a purely competitive, increasing-cost industry is in long-run equilibrium. Now


assume that a decrease in consumer demand occurs. After all resulting adjustments have
been completed, the new equilibrium price:

A. and industry output will be less than the initial price and output.
B. will be greater than the initial price, but the new industry output will be less than the
original output.
C. will be less than the initial price, but the new industry output will be greater than the
original output.
D. and industry output will be greater than the initial price and output.

11-3
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11. Which of the following statements is correct?

A. The long-run supply curve for a purely competitive increasing-cost industry will be
upsloping.
B. The long-run supply curve for a purely competitive increasing-cost industry will be
perfectly elastic.
C. The long-run supply curve for a purely competitive industry will be less elastic than the
industry's short-run supply curve.
D. The long-run supply curve for a purely competitive decreasing-cost industry will be
upsloping.

12. A constant-cost industry is one in which:

A. a higher price per unit will not result in an increased output.


B. if 100 units can be produced for $100, then 150 can be produced for $150, 200 for $200,
and so forth.
C. the demand curve and therefore the unit price and quantity sold seldom change.
D. the total cost of producing 200 or 300 units is no greater than the cost of producing 100
units.

13. Which of the following will not hold true for a competitive firm in long-run equilibrium?

A. P equals AFC.
B. P equals minimum ATC.
C. MC equals minimum ATC.
D. P equals MC.

11-4
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14. Assume a purely competitive increasing-cost industry is initially in long-run equilibrium and
that an increase in consumer demand occurs. After all economic adjustments have been
completed, product price will be:

A. lower, but total output will be larger than originally.


B. higher and total output will be larger than originally.
C. lower and total output will be smaller than originally.
D. higher, but total output will be smaller than originally.

15. Assume a purely competitive, increasing-cost industry is in long-run equilibrium. If a decline


in demand occurs, firms will:

A. leave the industry, price will decrease, and quantity produced will increase.
B. enter the industry and price and quantity will both increase.
C. leave the industry and price and output will both increase.
D. leave the industry and price and output will both decline.

16. When a purely competitive firm is in long-run equilibrium:

A. marginal revenue exceeds marginal cost.


B. price equals marginal cost.
C. total revenue exceeds total cost.
D. minimum average total cost is less than the product price.

17. A purely competitive firm:

A. must earn a normal profit in the short run.


B. cannot earn economic profit in the long run.
C. may realize either economic profit or losses in the long run.
D. cannot earn economic profit in the short run.

11-5
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18. A constant-cost industry is one in which:

A. resource prices fall as output is increased.


B. resource prices rise as output is increased.
C. resource prices remain unchanged as output is increased.
D. small and large levels of output entail the same total costs.

19. An increasing-cost industry is associated with:

A. a perfectly elastic long-run supply curve.


B. an upsloping long-run supply curve.
C. a perfectly inelastic long-run supply curve.
D. an upsloping long-run demand curve.

20.

Refer to the diagrams, which pertain to a purely competitive firm producing output q and the
industry in which it operates. Which of the following is correct?

A. The diagrams portray neither long-run nor short-run equilibrium.


B. The diagrams portray both long-run and short-run equilibrium.
C. The diagrams portray short-run equilibrium but not long-run equilibrium.
D. The diagrams portray long-run equilibrium but not short-run equilibrium.

11-6
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21.

Refer to the diagrams, which pertain to a purely competitive firm producing output q and the
industry in which it operates. In the long run we should expect:

A. firms to enter the industry, market supply to rise, and product price to fall.
B. firms to leave the industry, market supply to rise, and product price to fall.
C. firms to leave the industry, market supply to fall, and product price to rise.
D. no change in the number of firms in this industry.

22.

Refer to the diagrams, which pertain to a purely competitive firm producing output q and the
industry in which it operates. The predicted long-run adjustments in this industry might be
offset by:

A. a decline in product demand.


B. an increase in resource prices.
C. a technological improvement in production methods.
D. entry of new firms into the industry.

11-7
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23. Assume a purely competitive firm is maximizing profit at some output at which long-run
average total cost is at a minimum. Then:

A. the firm is earning an economic profit.


B. there is no tendency for the firm's industry to expand or contract.
C. allocative but not productive efficiency is being achieved.
D. other firms will enter this industry.

24. An increasing-cost industry is the result of:

A. higher resource prices that occur as the industry expands.


B. a change in the industry's minimum efficient scale.
C. X-inefficiency.
D. the law of diminishing returns.

25. A purely competitive firm is precluded from making economic profits in the long run because:

A. it is a "price taker."
B. its demand curve is perfectly elastic.
C. of unimpeded entry to the industry.
D. it produces a differentiated product.

26. If a purely competitive constant-cost industry is realizing economic profits, we can expect
industry supply to:

A. increase, output to increase, price to decrease, and profits to decrease.


B. increase, output to increase, price to increase, and profits to decrease.
C. decrease, output to decrease, price to increase, and profits to increase.
D. increase, output to decrease, price to decrease, and profits to decrease.

11-8
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27. Assume that a decline in consumer demand occurs in a purely competitive industry that is
initially in long-run equilibrium. We can:

A. predict that the new price will be greater than the original price.
B. predict that the new price will be less than the original price.
C. predict that the new price will be the same as the original price.
D. not compare the original and the new prices without knowing what cost conditions exist in
the industry.

28. Under what conditions would an increase in demand lead to a lower long-run equilibrium
price?

A. The firms in the market are part of a decreasing-cost industry.


B. The firms in the market produce an inferior good.
C. Potential new firms in the market are not attracted by economic profits.
D. Increases in demand cannot lead to lower long-run equilibrium prices.

29. In a decreasing-cost industry:

A. there will be no firm entry because the increased supply will reduce the long-run
equilibrium price.
B. the law of demand does not apply.
C. greater demand leads to higher long-run equilibrium prices.
D. lower demand leads to higher long-run equilibrium prices.

30. A decreasing-cost industry is one in which:

A. contraction of the industry will decrease unit costs.


B. input prices fall or technology improves as the industry expands.
C. the long-run supply curve is perfectly elastic.
D. the long-run supply curve is upsloping.

11-9
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31. When LCD televisions first came on the market, they sold for at least $1,000, and some for
much more. Now many units can be purchased for under $400. These facts imply that:

A. the LCD television industry was once competitive but is now monopolistic.
B. fewer firms produce LCD televisions than was the case five or ten years ago.
C. the demand curve for LCD televisions has shifted leftward.
D. the LCD television industry is a decreasing-cost industry.

32. Suppose that an industry's long-run supply curve is downsloping. This suggests that:

A. it is an increasing-cost industry.
B. relevant inputs have become more expensive as the industry has expanded.
C. technology has become less efficient as a result of the industry's expansion.
D. it is a decreasing-cost industry.

33. Suppose an increase in product demand occurs in a decreasing-cost industry. As a result:

A. the new long-run equilibrium price will be lower than the original long-run equilibrium
price.
B. equilibrium quantity will decline.
C. firms will eventually leave the industry.
D. the new long-run equilibrium price will be higher than the original price.

34. Purely competitive industry X has constant costs and its product is an inferior good. The
industry is currently in long-run equilibrium. The economy now goes into a recession and
average incomes decline. The result will be:

A. an increase in output and in the price of the product.


B. an increase in output, but not in the price, of the product.
C. a decrease in the output, but not in the price, of the product.
D. a decrease in output and in the price of the product.

11-10
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35. Suppose losses cause industry X to contract and, as a result, the prices of relevant inputs
decline. Industry X is:

A. a constant-cost industry.
B. a decreasing-cost industry.
C. an increasing-cost industry.
D. encountering X-inefficiency.

36.

Refer to the diagram showing the average total cost curve for a purely competitive firm. At
the long-run equilibrium level of output, this firm's total revenue:

A. is $10.
B. is $40.
C. is $400.
D. cannot be determined from the information provided.

11-11
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37.

Refer to the diagram showing the average total cost curve for a purely competitive firm. At
the long-run equilibrium level of output, this firm's total cost:

A. is $10.
B. is $40.
C. is $400.
D. cannot be determined from the information provided.

11-12
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38.

Refer to the diagram showing the average total cost curve for a purely competitive firm. At
the long-run equilibrium level of output, this firm's economic profit:

A. is zero.
B. is $400.
C. is $200.
D. cannot be determined from the information provided.

39. The MR = MC rule applies:

A. in the short run but not in the long run.


B. in the long run but not in the short run.
C. in both the short run and the long run.
D. only to a purely competitive firm.

40. If the long-run supply curve of a purely competitive industry slopes upward, this implies that
the prices of relevant resources:

A. will fall as the industry expands.


B. are constant as the industry expands.
C. rise as the industry contracts.
D. rise as the industry expands.

11-13
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41.

Refer to the diagram. Line (1) reflects the long-run supply curve for:

A. a constant-cost industry.
B. a decreasing-cost industry.
C. an increasing-cost industry.
D. a technologically progressive industry.

42.

Refer to the diagram. Line (2) reflects the long-run supply curve for:

A. a constant-cost industry.
B. a decreasing-cost industry.
C. an increasing-cost industry.
D. a technologically progressive industry.

11-14
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43.

Refer to the diagram. Line (1) reflects a situation where resource prices:

A. decline as industry output expands.


B. increase as industry output expands.
C. remain constant as industry output expands.
D. are unaffected by the level of output in the industry.

44.

Refer to the diagram. Line (2) reflects a situation where resource prices:

A. decline as industry output expands.


B. increase as industry output expands.
C. rise and then decline as industry output expands.
D. remain constant as industry output expands.

11-15
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45. Allocative efficiency is achieved when the production of a good occurs where:

A. P = minimum ATC.
B. P = MC.
C. P = minimum AVC.
D. total revenue is equal to TFC.

46. A firm is producing an output such that the benefit from one more unit is more than the cost
of producing that additional unit. This means the firm is:

A. producing more output than allocative efficiency requires.


B. producing less output than allocative efficiency requires.
C. achieving productive efficiency.
D. producing an inefficient output, but we cannot say whether output should be increased or
decreased.

47. Resources are efficiently allocated when production occurs where:

A. marginal cost equals average variable cost.


B. price is equal to average revenue.
C. price is equal to marginal cost.
D. price is equal to average variable cost.

48. The term productive efficiency refers to:

A. any short-run equilibrium position of a competitive firm.


B. the production of the product mix most desired by consumers.
C. the production of a good at the lowest average total cost.
D. fulfilling the condition P = MC.

11-16
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49. If the price of product Y is $25 and its marginal cost is $18:

A. Y is being produced with the least-cost combination of resources.


B. society will realize a net gain if less of Y is produced.
C. resources are being underallocated to Y.
D. resources are being overallocated to Y.

50. The term allocative efficiency refers to:

A. the level of output that coincides with the intersection of the MC and AVC curves.
B. minimization of the AFC in the production of any good.
C. the production of the product mix most desired by consumers.
D. the production of a good at the lowest average total cost.

51. Under pure competition in the long run:

A. neither allocative efficiency nor productive efficiency is achieved.


B. both allocative efficiency and productive efficiency are achieved.
C. productive efficiency is achieved, but allocative efficiency is not.
D. allocative efficiency is achieved, but productive efficiency is not.

52. If for a firm P = minimum ATC = MC, then:

A. neither allocative efficiency nor productive efficiency is being achieved.


B. productive efficiency is being achieved, but allocative efficiency is not.
C. both allocative efficiency and productive efficiency are being achieved.
D. allocative efficiency is being achieved, but productive efficiency is not.

11-17
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53.

The diagram portrays:

A. a competitive firm that should shut down in the short run.


B. the equilibrium position of a competitive firm in the long run.
C. a competitive firm that is realizing an economic profit.
D. the loss-minimizing position of a competitive firm in the short run.

54.

Refer to the diagram. If this competitive firm produces output Q, it will:

A. suffer an economic loss.


B. earn a normal profit.
C. earn an economic profit.
D. achieve productive efficiency but not allocative efficiency.

11-18
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55.

Refer to the diagram. By producing at output level Q:

A. neither productive nor allocative efficiency is achieved.


B. both productive and allocative efficiency are achieved.
C. allocative efficiency is achieved, but productive efficiency is not.
D. productive efficiency is achieved, but allocative efficiency is not.

56.

Refer to the diagram. At output level Q1:

A. neither productive nor allocative efficiency is achieved.


B. both productive and allocative efficiency are achieved.
C. allocative efficiency is achieved, but productive efficiency is not.
D. productive efficiency is achieved, but allocative efficiency is not.

11-19
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57.

Refer to the diagram. At output level Q1:

A. resources are overallocated to this product and productive efficiency is not realized.
B. resources are underallocated to this product and productive efficiency is not realized.
C. productive efficiency is achieved, but resources are underallocated to this product.
D. productive efficiency is achieved, but resources are overallocated to this product.

58.

Refer to the diagram. At output level Q2:

A. resources are overallocated to this product and productive efficiency is not realized.
B. resources are underallocated to this product and productive efficiency is not realized.
C. productive efficiency is achieved, but resources are underallocated to this product.
D. productive efficiency is achieved, but resources are overallocated to this product.

11-20
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59. Assume that society places a higher value on the last unit of X produced than the value of the
resources used to produce that unit. With no spillovers, this information means that:

A. total cost is greater than total revenue.


B. price is greater than marginal cost.
C. marginal cost is greater than price.
D. resources are being overallocated to X.

60. If production is occurring where marginal cost exceeds price, the purely competitive firm will:

A. maximize profit, but resources will be underallocated to the product.


B. maximize profit, but resources will be overallocated to the product.
C. fail to maximize profit and resources will be overallocated to the product.
D. fail to maximize profit and resources will be underallocated to the product.

61. If a purely competitive firm is producing where price exceeds marginal cost, then:

A. the firm will fail to maximize profit, but resources will be efficiently allocated.
B. the firm will fail to maximize profit and resources will be overallocated to the product.
C. the firm will fail to maximize profit and resources will be underallocated to the product.
D. resources will be underallocated to the product, but the firm will maximize profit.

62. Which of the following conditions is true for a purely competitive firm in long-run
equilibrium?

A. P > MC = minimum ATC.


B. P > MC > minimum ATC.
C. P = MC = minimum ATC.
D. P < MC < minimum ATC.

11-21
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63. Allocative efficiency occurs whenever:

A. consumer surplus is maximized.


B. it is impossible to produce a net benefit for society by changing the combination of goods
and services produced.
C. firms have maximized their profits.
D. it is impossible to make someone in society better off without making someone else worse
off.

64. In long-run equilibrium, purely competitive markets:

A. minimize total cost.


B. maximize the sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus.
C. yield economic profits to most sellers.
D. inevitably degenerate into monopoly in increasing-cost industries.

65. Which of the following would not be expected to occur in a purely competitive market in long-
run equilibrium?

A. Consumer and producer surplus will be minimized.


B. P = MC = lowest ATC.
C. The maximum willingness to pay for the last unit equals the minimum acceptable price for
that unit.
D. We would expect all of these to occur in the long run in a purely competitive market.

66. Which of the following outcomes is consistent with a purely competitive market in long-run
equilibrium?

A. Consumer and producer surplus will be maximized.


B. P = MC = lowest AVC.
C. The minimum willingness to pay equals the maximum acceptable price.
D. We would expect all of these to occur in the long run in a purely competitive market.

11-22
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67. Entrepreneurs in purely competitive industries:

A. have no incentive to innovate because in the long run they will earn no economic profits.
B. innovate to lower operating costs and generate short-run economic profits.
C. utilize pricing strategies to generate short-run economic profits.
D. rarely try to innovate because of a lack of financial resources.

68. Innovations that lower production costs or create new products:

A. are rare in competitive industries.


B. discourage new firms from entering the industry.
C. often generate short-run economic profits that do not last into the long run.
D. usually generate long-run economic profits for the innovator.

69. The process by which new firms and new products replace existing dominant firms and
products is called:

A. monopolistic competition.
B. mergers and acquisitions.
C. process innovation.
D. creative destruction.

70. Creative destruction is:

A. the process by which large firms buy up small firms.


B. the process by which new firms and new products replace existing dominant firms and
products.
C. a term coined many years ago by Adam Smith.
D. applicable to planned economies but not to market economies.

11-23
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71. The theory of creative destruction was advanced many years ago by:

A. Bill Gates.
B. Alfred Marshall.
C. Joseph Schumpeter.
D. Adam Smith.

72. Creative destruction is least beneficial to:

A. workers in the "destroyed" industries.


B. workers in the "created" industries.
C. consumers.
D. society as a whole.

73. Which of the following is an example of creative destruction?

A. An economic recession forces firms out of business.


B. Automobile production causes the wagon industry to shut down.
C. Apple earns more economic profits than other manufacturers of MP3 players.
D. Starbucks shuts down stores to create greater demand for its remaining outlets.

74. (Consider This) The average life expectancy of a U.S. business is approximately:

A. 2 years.
B. 5.5 years.
C. 10.2 years.
D. 22 years.

11-24
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75. (Consider This) Approximately what percentage of start-up firms in the United States go
bankrupt within the first two years?

A. 3.5.
B. 10.2.
C. 22.
D. 53.

76. (Consider This) Which of the following statements is true about U.S. firms?

A. Over half are bankrupt within the first two years after starting up.
B. Over half are bankrupt within the first five years after starting up.
C. Nearly 65 percent last 10 years or more.
D. The life expectancy of a U.S. firm is approximately 22 years.

77. (Last Word) Patents are most likely to infringe on innovation:

A. for products that incorporate many different technologies into a single product.
B. of simple, easy-to-copy products.
C. in the pharmaceutical industry.
D. when they cause creative destruction.

78. (Last Word) "Patent trolls:"

A. block firms from acquiring patents on intellectual property.


B. buy up patents in order to collect royalties and sue other companies.
C. legally challenge new patent applications in an effort to extract rents.
D. promote innovation by keeping firms from having a stranglehold on intellectual property.

11-25
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79. (Last Word) Eliminating patents would tend to:

A. stimulate innovation in all industries.


B. discourage innovation in all industries.
C. encourage innovation in products made up of many different technologies but discourage
innovation of easy-to-copy products requiring large R&D costs to create.
D. discourage innovation in products made up of many different technologies but encourage
innovation of easy-to-copy products requiring large R&D costs to create.

True / False Questions

80. After all long-run adjustments have been completed, a firm in a competitive industry will
produce that level of output where average total cost is at a minimum.

True False

81. The long-run supply curve for a decreasing-cost industry is downsloping.

True False

82. Marginal cost is a measure of the alternative goods that society forgoes in using resources to
produce an additional unit of some specific product.

True False

83. Because the equilibrium position of a purely competitive seller entails an equality of price and
marginal costs, competition produces an efficient allocation of economic resources.

True False

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84.

Refer to the diagram. If this represents a typical firm in the industry and the firm is producing
at the profit-maximizing level of output in the short run, then in the long run we would expect
more firms to enter the market.

True False

85.

Refer to the diagram. If this represents a typical firm in the industry and the firm is producing
at the profit-maximizing level of output in the short run, then in the long run we would expect
economic profits in this market to rise.

True False

11-27
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
86.

Refer to the diagram. If this firm is producing at the profit-maximizing level of output in the
short run, then it is achieving productive and allocative efficiency.

True False

87. When entrepreneurs in competitive industries successfully innovate to lower production


costs, it usually results in long-run economic profits for the firm.

True False

88. The process by which new firms and new products destroy existing dominant firms and their
products is called creative destruction.

True False

11-28
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 11 Pure Competition in the Long Run Answer Key

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following distinguishes the short run from the long run in pure competition?

A. Firms can enter and exit the market in the long run but not in the short run.
B. Firms attempt to maximize profits in the long run but not in the short run.
C. Firms use the MR = MC rule to maximize profits in the short run but not in the long
run.
D. The quantity of labor hired can vary in the long run but not in the short run.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain how the long run differs from the short run in pure competition.
Topic: Long run in pure competition

2. The primary force encouraging the entry of new firms into a purely competitive industry is:

A. normal profits earned by firms already in the industry.


B. economic profits earned by firms already in the industry.
C. government subsidies for start-up firms.
D. a desire to provide goods for the betterment of society.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

11-29
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
3. In a purely competitive industry:

A. there will be no economic profits in either the short run or the long run.
B. economic profits may persist in the long run if consumer demand is strong and stable.
C. there may be economic profits in the short run but not in the long run.
D. there may be economic profits in the long run but not in the short run.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain how the long run differs from the short run in pure competition.
Topic: Long run in pure competition

4. Suppose a firm in a purely competitive market discovers that the price of its product is
above its minimum AVC point but everywhere below ATC. Given this, the firm:

A. minimizes losses by producing at the minimum point of its AVC curve.


B. maximizes profits by producing where MR = ATC.
C. should close down immediately.
D. should continue producing in the short run but leave the industry in the long run if the
situation persists.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

11-30
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McGraw-Hill Education.
5. Which of the following is true concerning purely competitive industries?

A. There will be economic losses in the long run because of cut-throat competition.
B. Economic profits will persist in the long run if consumer demand is strong and stable.
C. In the short run, firms may incur economic losses or earn economic profits, but in the
long run they earn normal profits.
D. There are economic profits in the long run but not in the short run.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain how the long run differs from the short run in pure competition.
Topic: Long run in pure competition

6. If a purely competitive firm is producing at the MR = MC output level and earning an


economic profit, then:

A. the selling price for this firm is above the market equilibrium price.
B. new firms will enter this market.
C. some existing firms in this market will leave.
D. there must be price fixing by the industry's firms.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

7. Long-run competitive equilibrium:

A. is realized only in constant-cost industries.


B. will never change once it is realized.
C. is not economically efficient.
D. results in zero economic profits.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

11-31
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

8. We would expect an industry to expand if firms in that industry are:

A. earning normal profits.


B. earning economic profits.
C. breaking even.
D. earning accounting profits.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

9. Which of the following statements is correct?

A. Economic profits induce firms to enter an industry; losses encourage firms to leave.
B. Economic profits induce firms to leave an industry; profits encourage firms to leave.
C. Economic profits and losses have no significant impact on the growth or decline of an
industry.
D. Normal profits will cause an industry to expand.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

11-32
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McGraw-Hill Education.
10. Suppose a purely competitive, increasing-cost industry is in long-run equilibrium. Now
assume that a decrease in consumer demand occurs. After all resulting adjustments have
been completed, the new equilibrium price:

A. and industry output will be less than the initial price and output.
B. will be greater than the initial price, but the new industry output will be less than the
original output.
C. will be less than the initial price, but the new industry output will be greater than the
original output.
D. and industry output will be greater than the initial price and output.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

11. Which of the following statements is correct?

A. The long-run supply curve for a purely competitive increasing-cost industry will be
upsloping.
B. The long-run supply curve for a purely competitive increasing-cost industry will be
perfectly elastic.
C. The long-run supply curve for a purely competitive industry will be less elastic than the
industry's short-run supply curve.
D. The long-run supply curve for a purely competitive decreasing-cost industry will be
upsloping.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

11-33
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McGraw-Hill Education.
12. A constant-cost industry is one in which:

A. a higher price per unit will not result in an increased output.


B. if 100 units can be produced for $100, then 150 can be produced for $150, 200 for
$200, and so forth.
C. the demand curve and therefore the unit price and quantity sold seldom change.
D. the total cost of producing 200 or 300 units is no greater than the cost of producing 100
units.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

13. Which of the following will not hold true for a competitive firm in long-run equilibrium?

A. P equals AFC.
B. P equals minimum ATC.
C. MC equals minimum ATC.
D. P equals MC.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain how the long run differs from the short run in pure competition.
Topic: Long run in pure competition

11-34
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McGraw-Hill Education.
14. Assume a purely competitive increasing-cost industry is initially in long-run equilibrium
and that an increase in consumer demand occurs. After all economic adjustments have
been completed, product price will be:

A. lower, but total output will be larger than originally.


B. higher and total output will be larger than originally.
C. lower and total output will be smaller than originally.
D. higher, but total output will be smaller than originally.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

15. Assume a purely competitive, increasing-cost industry is in long-run equilibrium. If a


decline in demand occurs, firms will:

A. leave the industry, price will decrease, and quantity produced will increase.
B. enter the industry and price and quantity will both increase.
C. leave the industry and price and output will both increase.
D. leave the industry and price and output will both decline.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

11-35
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McGraw-Hill Education.
16. When a purely competitive firm is in long-run equilibrium:

A. marginal revenue exceeds marginal cost.


B. price equals marginal cost.
C. total revenue exceeds total cost.
D. minimum average total cost is less than the product price.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain how the long run differs from the short run in pure competition.
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Long run in pure competition
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

17. A purely competitive firm:

A. must earn a normal profit in the short run.


B. cannot earn economic profit in the long run.
C. may realize either economic profit or losses in the long run.
D. cannot earn economic profit in the short run.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain how the long run differs from the short run in pure competition.
Topic: Long run in pure competition

18. A constant-cost industry is one in which:

A. resource prices fall as output is increased.


B. resource prices rise as output is increased.
C. resource prices remain unchanged as output is increased.
D. small and large levels of output entail the same total costs.

AACSB: Analytic

11-36
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

19. An increasing-cost industry is associated with:

A. a perfectly elastic long-run supply curve.


B. an upsloping long-run supply curve.
C. a perfectly inelastic long-run supply curve.
D. an upsloping long-run demand curve.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

20.

Refer to the diagrams, which pertain to a purely competitive firm producing output q and
the industry in which it operates. Which of the following is correct?

A. The diagrams portray neither long-run nor short-run equilibrium.


B. The diagrams portray both long-run and short-run equilibrium.
C. The diagrams portray short-run equilibrium but not long-run equilibrium.
D. The diagrams portray long-run equilibrium but not short-run equilibrium.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Understand

11-37
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain how the long run differs from the short run in pure competition.
Topic: Long run in pure competition
Type: Graph

21.

Refer to the diagrams, which pertain to a purely competitive firm producing output q and
the industry in which it operates. In the long run we should expect:

A. firms to enter the industry, market supply to rise, and product price to fall.
B. firms to leave the industry, market supply to rise, and product price to fall.
C. firms to leave the industry, market supply to fall, and product price to rise.
D. no change in the number of firms in this industry.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition
Type: Graph

11-38
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
22.

Refer to the diagrams, which pertain to a purely competitive firm producing output q and
the industry in which it operates. The predicted long-run adjustments in this industry
might be offset by:

A. a decline in product demand.


B. an increase in resource prices.
C. a technological improvement in production methods.
D. entry of new firms into the industry.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition
Type: Graph

23. Assume a purely competitive firm is maximizing profit at some output at which long-run
average total cost is at a minimum. Then:

A. the firm is earning an economic profit.


B. there is no tendency for the firm's industry to expand or contract.
C. allocative but not productive efficiency is being achieved.
D. other firms will enter this industry.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

11-39
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McGraw-Hill Education.
24. An increasing-cost industry is the result of:

A. higher resource prices that occur as the industry expands.


B. a change in the industry's minimum efficient scale.
C. X-inefficiency.
D. the law of diminishing returns.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

25. A purely competitive firm is precluded from making economic profits in the long run
because:

A. it is a "price taker."
B. its demand curve is perfectly elastic.
C. of unimpeded entry to the industry.
D. it produces a differentiated product.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

11-40
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McGraw-Hill Education.
26. If a purely competitive constant-cost industry is realizing economic profits, we can expect
industry supply to:

A. increase, output to increase, price to decrease, and profits to decrease.


B. increase, output to increase, price to increase, and profits to decrease.
C. decrease, output to decrease, price to increase, and profits to increase.
D. increase, output to decrease, price to decrease, and profits to decrease.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

27. Assume that a decline in consumer demand occurs in a purely competitive industry that is
initially in long-run equilibrium. We can:

A. predict that the new price will be greater than the original price.
B. predict that the new price will be less than the original price.
C. predict that the new price will be the same as the original price.
D. not compare the original and the new prices without knowing what cost conditions
exist in the industry.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

11-41
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McGraw-Hill Education.
28. Under what conditions would an increase in demand lead to a lower long-run equilibrium
price?

A. The firms in the market are part of a decreasing-cost industry.


B. The firms in the market produce an inferior good.
C. Potential new firms in the market are not attracted by economic profits.
D. Increases in demand cannot lead to lower long-run equilibrium prices.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

29. In a decreasing-cost industry:

A. there will be no firm entry because the increased supply will reduce the long-run
equilibrium price.
B. the law of demand does not apply.
C. greater demand leads to higher long-run equilibrium prices.
D. lower demand leads to higher long-run equilibrium prices.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

11-42
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McGraw-Hill Education.
30. A decreasing-cost industry is one in which:

A. contraction of the industry will decrease unit costs.


B. input prices fall or technology improves as the industry expands.
C. the long-run supply curve is perfectly elastic.
D. the long-run supply curve is upsloping.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

31. When LCD televisions first came on the market, they sold for at least $1,000, and some for
much more. Now many units can be purchased for under $400. These facts imply that:

A. the LCD television industry was once competitive but is now monopolistic.
B. fewer firms produce LCD televisions than was the case five or ten years ago.
C. the demand curve for LCD televisions has shifted leftward.
D. the LCD television industry is a decreasing-cost industry.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

32. Suppose that an industry's long-run supply curve is downsloping. This suggests that:

A. it is an increasing-cost industry.
B. relevant inputs have become more expensive as the industry has expanded.
C. technology has become less efficient as a result of the industry's expansion.
D. it is a decreasing-cost industry.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

11-43
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

33. Suppose an increase in product demand occurs in a decreasing-cost industry. As a result:

A. the new long-run equilibrium price will be lower than the original long-run equilibrium
price.
B. equilibrium quantity will decline.
C. firms will eventually leave the industry.
D. the new long-run equilibrium price will be higher than the original price.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

34. Purely competitive industry X has constant costs and its product is an inferior good. The
industry is currently in long-run equilibrium. The economy now goes into a recession and
average incomes decline. The result will be:

A. an increase in output and in the price of the product.


B. an increase in output, but not in the price, of the product.
C. a decrease in the output, but not in the price, of the product.
D. a decrease in output and in the price of the product.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

11-44
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McGraw-Hill Education.
35. Suppose losses cause industry X to contract and, as a result, the prices of relevant inputs
decline. Industry X is:

A. a constant-cost industry.
B. a decreasing-cost industry.
C. an increasing-cost industry.
D. encountering X-inefficiency.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

36.

Refer to the diagram showing the average total cost curve for a purely competitive firm. At
the long-run equilibrium level of output, this firm's total revenue:

A. is $10.
B. is $40.
C. is $400.
D. cannot be determined from the information provided.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard

11-45
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition
Type: Graph

37.

Refer to the diagram showing the average total cost curve for a purely competitive firm. At
the long-run equilibrium level of output, this firm's total cost:

A. is $10.
B. is $40.
C. is $400.
D. cannot be determined from the information provided.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition
Type: Graph

11-46
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
38.

Refer to the diagram showing the average total cost curve for a purely competitive firm. At
the long-run equilibrium level of output, this firm's economic profit:

A. is zero.
B. is $400.
C. is $200.
D. cannot be determined from the information provided.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition
Type: Graph

39. The MR = MC rule applies:

A. in the short run but not in the long run.


B. in the long run but not in the short run.
C. in both the short run and the long run.
D. only to a purely competitive firm.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain how the long run differs from the short run in pure competition.

11-47
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long run in pure competition
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

40. If the long-run supply curve of a purely competitive industry slopes upward, this implies
that the prices of relevant resources:

A. will fall as the industry expands.


B. are constant as the industry expands.
C. rise as the industry contracts.
D. rise as the industry expands.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

41.

Refer to the diagram. Line (1) reflects the long-run supply curve for:

A. a constant-cost industry.
B. a decreasing-cost industry.
C. an increasing-cost industry.
D. a technologically progressive industry.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Understand

11-48
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply
Type: Graph

42.

Refer to the diagram. Line (2) reflects the long-run supply curve for:

A. a constant-cost industry.
B. a decreasing-cost industry.
C. an increasing-cost industry.
D. a technologically progressive industry.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply
Type: Graph

11-49
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
43.

Refer to the diagram. Line (1) reflects a situation where resource prices:

A. decline as industry output expands.


B. increase as industry output expands.
C. remain constant as industry output expands.
D. are unaffected by the level of output in the industry.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply
Type: Graph

11-50
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
44.

Refer to the diagram. Line (2) reflects a situation where resource prices:

A. decline as industry output expands.


B. increase as industry output expands.
C. rise and then decline as industry output expands.
D. remain constant as industry output expands.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply
Type: Graph

45. Allocative efficiency is achieved when the production of a good occurs where:

A. P = minimum ATC.
B. P = MC.
C. P = minimum AVC.
D. total revenue is equal to TFC.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

11-51
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
46. A firm is producing an output such that the benefit from one more unit is more than the
cost of producing that additional unit. This means the firm is:

A. producing more output than allocative efficiency requires.


B. producing less output than allocative efficiency requires.
C. achieving productive efficiency.
D. producing an inefficient output, but we cannot say whether output should be increased
or decreased.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

47. Resources are efficiently allocated when production occurs where:

A. marginal cost equals average variable cost.


B. price is equal to average revenue.
C. price is equal to marginal cost.
D. price is equal to average variable cost.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

11-52
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
48. The term productive efficiency refers to:

A. any short-run equilibrium position of a competitive firm.


B. the production of the product mix most desired by consumers.
C. the production of a good at the lowest average total cost.
D. fulfilling the condition P = MC.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

49. If the price of product Y is $25 and its marginal cost is $18:

A. Y is being produced with the least-cost combination of resources.


B. society will realize a net gain if less of Y is produced.
C. resources are being underallocated to Y.
D. resources are being overallocated to Y.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

50. The term allocative efficiency refers to:

A. the level of output that coincides with the intersection of the MC and AVC curves.
B. minimization of the AFC in the production of any good.
C. the production of the product mix most desired by consumers.
D. the production of a good at the lowest average total cost.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

11-53
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

51. Under pure competition in the long run:

A. neither allocative efficiency nor productive efficiency is achieved.


B. both allocative efficiency and productive efficiency are achieved.
C. productive efficiency is achieved, but allocative efficiency is not.
D. allocative efficiency is achieved, but productive efficiency is not.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

52. If for a firm P = minimum ATC = MC, then:

A. neither allocative efficiency nor productive efficiency is being achieved.


B. productive efficiency is being achieved, but allocative efficiency is not.
C. both allocative efficiency and productive efficiency are being achieved.
D. allocative efficiency is being achieved, but productive efficiency is not.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

11-54
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
53.

The diagram portrays:

A. a competitive firm that should shut down in the short run.


B. the equilibrium position of a competitive firm in the long run.
C. a competitive firm that is realizing an economic profit.
D. the loss-minimizing position of a competitive firm in the short run.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition
Type: Graph

11-55
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
54.

Refer to the diagram. If this competitive firm produces output Q, it will:

A. suffer an economic loss.


B. earn a normal profit.
C. earn an economic profit.
D. achieve productive efficiency but not allocative efficiency.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition
Type: Graph

11-56
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
55.

Refer to the diagram. By producing at output level Q:

A. neither productive nor allocative efficiency is achieved.


B. both productive and allocative efficiency are achieved.
C. allocative efficiency is achieved, but productive efficiency is not.
D. productive efficiency is achieved, but allocative efficiency is not.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency
Type: Graph

11-57
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
56.

Refer to the diagram. At output level Q1:

A. neither productive nor allocative efficiency is achieved.


B. both productive and allocative efficiency are achieved.
C. allocative efficiency is achieved, but productive efficiency is not.
D. productive efficiency is achieved, but allocative efficiency is not.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency
Type: Graph

11-58
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
57.

Refer to the diagram. At output level Q1:

A. resources are overallocated to this product and productive efficiency is not realized.
B. resources are underallocated to this product and productive efficiency is not realized.
C. productive efficiency is achieved, but resources are underallocated to this product.
D. productive efficiency is achieved, but resources are overallocated to this product.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency
Type: Graph

11-59
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
58.

Refer to the diagram. At output level Q2:

A. resources are overallocated to this product and productive efficiency is not realized.
B. resources are underallocated to this product and productive efficiency is not realized.
C. productive efficiency is achieved, but resources are underallocated to this product.
D. productive efficiency is achieved, but resources are overallocated to this product.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency
Type: Graph

59. Assume that society places a higher value on the last unit of X produced than the value of
the resources used to produce that unit. With no spillovers, this information means that:

A. total cost is greater than total revenue.


B. price is greater than marginal cost.
C. marginal cost is greater than price.
D. resources are being overallocated to X.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of

11-60
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

60. If production is occurring where marginal cost exceeds price, the purely competitive firm
will:

A. maximize profit, but resources will be underallocated to the product.


B. maximize profit, but resources will be overallocated to the product.
C. fail to maximize profit and resources will be overallocated to the product.
D. fail to maximize profit and resources will be underallocated to the product.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

61. If a purely competitive firm is producing where price exceeds marginal cost, then:

A. the firm will fail to maximize profit, but resources will be efficiently allocated.
B. the firm will fail to maximize profit and resources will be overallocated to the product.
C. the firm will fail to maximize profit and resources will be underallocated to the product.
D. resources will be underallocated to the product, but the firm will maximize profit.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

11-61
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
62. Which of the following conditions is true for a purely competitive firm in long-run
equilibrium?

A. P > MC = minimum ATC.


B. P > MC > minimum ATC.
C. P = MC = minimum ATC.
D. P < MC < minimum ATC.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

63. Allocative efficiency occurs whenever:

A. consumer surplus is maximized.


B. it is impossible to produce a net benefit for society by changing the combination of
goods and services produced.
C. firms have maximized their profits.
D. it is impossible to make someone in society better off without making someone else
worse off.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

11-62
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
64. In long-run equilibrium, purely competitive markets:

A. minimize total cost.


B. maximize the sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus.
C. yield economic profits to most sellers.
D. inevitably degenerate into monopoly in increasing-cost industries.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

65. Which of the following would not be expected to occur in a purely competitive market in
long-run equilibrium?

A. Consumer and producer surplus will be minimized.


B. P = MC = lowest ATC.
C. The maximum willingness to pay for the last unit equals the minimum acceptable price
for that unit.
D. We would expect all of these to occur in the long run in a purely competitive market.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

11-63
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
66. Which of the following outcomes is consistent with a purely competitive market in long-
run equilibrium?

A. Consumer and producer surplus will be maximized.


B. P = MC = lowest AVC.
C. The minimum willingness to pay equals the maximum acceptable price.
D. We would expect all of these to occur in the long run in a purely competitive market.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

67. Entrepreneurs in purely competitive industries:

A. have no incentive to innovate because in the long run they will earn no economic
profits.
B. innovate to lower operating costs and generate short-run economic profits.
C. utilize pricing strategies to generate short-run economic profits.
D. rarely try to innovate because of a lack of financial resources.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

11-64
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
68. Innovations that lower production costs or create new products:

A. are rare in competitive industries.


B. discourage new firms from entering the industry.
C. often generate short-run economic profits that do not last into the long run.
D. usually generate long-run economic profits for the innovator.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

69. The process by which new firms and new products replace existing dominant firms and
products is called:

A. monopolistic competition.
B. mergers and acquisitions.
C. process innovation.
D. creative destruction.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

70. Creative destruction is:

A. the process by which large firms buy up small firms.


B. the process by which new firms and new products replace existing dominant firms and
products.
C. a term coined many years ago by Adam Smith.
D. applicable to planned economies but not to market economies.

AACSB: Analytic

11-65
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

71. The theory of creative destruction was advanced many years ago by:

A. Bill Gates.
B. Alfred Marshall.
C. Joseph Schumpeter.
D. Adam Smith.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

72. Creative destruction is least beneficial to:

A. workers in the "destroyed" industries.


B. workers in the "created" industries.
C. consumers.
D. society as a whole.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

11-66
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
73. Which of the following is an example of creative destruction?

A. An economic recession forces firms out of business.


B. Automobile production causes the wagon industry to shut down.
C. Apple earns more economic profits than other manufacturers of MP3 players.
D. Starbucks shuts down stores to create greater demand for its remaining outlets.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

74. (Consider This) The average life expectancy of a U.S. business is approximately:

A. 2 years.
B. 5.5 years.
C. 10.2 years.
D. 22 years.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

75. (Consider This) Approximately what percentage of start-up firms in the United States go
bankrupt within the first two years?

A. 3.5.
B. 10.2.
C. 22.
D. 53.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember

11-67
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

76. (Consider This) Which of the following statements is true about U.S. firms?

A. Over half are bankrupt within the first two years after starting up.
B. Over half are bankrupt within the first five years after starting up.
C. Nearly 65 percent last 10 years or more.
D. The life expectancy of a U.S. firm is approximately 22 years.

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

77. (Last Word) Patents are most likely to infringe on innovation:

A. for products that incorporate many different technologies into a single product.
B. of simple, easy-to-copy products.
C. in the pharmaceutical industry.
D. when they cause creative destruction.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

11-68
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
78. (Last Word) "Patent trolls:"

A. block firms from acquiring patents on intellectual property.


B. buy up patents in order to collect royalties and sue other companies.
C. legally challenge new patent applications in an effort to extract rents.
D. promote innovation by keeping firms from having a stranglehold on intellectual
property.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

79. (Last Word) Eliminating patents would tend to:

A. stimulate innovation in all industries.


B. discourage innovation in all industries.
C. encourage innovation in products made up of many different technologies but
discourage innovation of easy-to-copy products requiring large R&D costs to create.
D. discourage innovation in products made up of many different technologies but
encourage innovation of easy-to-copy products requiring large R&D costs to create.

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Apply
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

True / False Questions

11-69
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
80. After all long-run adjustments have been completed, a firm in a competitive industry will
produce that level of output where average total cost is at a minimum.

TRUE

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition

81. The long-run supply curve for a decreasing-cost industry is downsloping.

TRUE

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain the differences between constant-cost; increasing-cost; and decreasing-cost
industries.
Topic: Long-run supply

82. Marginal cost is a measure of the alternative goods that society forgoes in using resources
to produce an additional unit of some specific product.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

83. Because the equilibrium position of a purely competitive seller entails an equality of price
and marginal costs, competition produces an efficient allocation of economic resources.

TRUE

AACSB: Reflective Thinking

11-70
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency

84.

Refer to the diagram. If this represents a typical firm in the industry and the firm is
producing at the profit-maximizing level of output in the short run, then in the long run we
would expect more firms to enter the market.

TRUE

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition
Type: Graph

11-71
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
85.

Refer to the diagram. If this represents a typical firm in the industry and the firm is
producing at the profit-maximizing level of output in the short run, then in the long run we
would expect economic profits in this market to rise.

FALSE

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-02 Describe how profits and losses drive the long-run adjustment process of pure competition.
Topic: Long-run adjustment process in pure competition
Type: Graph

11-72
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
86.

Refer to the diagram. If this firm is producing at the profit-maximizing level of output in the
short run, then it is achieving productive and allocative efficiency.

FALSE

AACSB: Reflective Thinking


Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
Learning Objective: 11-04 Show how long-run equilibrium in pure competition produces an efficient allocation of
resources.
Topic: Pure competition and efficiency
Type: Graph

87. When entrepreneurs in competitive industries successfully innovate to lower production


costs, it usually results in long-run economic profits for the firm.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

11-73
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
88. The process by which new firms and new products destroy existing dominant firms and
their products is called creative destruction.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytic
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 11-05 Discuss creative destruction and the profit incentives for innovation.
Topic: Technological advance and competition

11-74
Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
No, kettu siinä rupeaa laulamaan itkuvirsiä ja hoitamaan sekä
tuudittelemaan karhun lapsia, mutta äijä itse lähtee jo aamulla ruoan
hankintaan, kun oli ruoka loppunut, ja muutenkin talon töistä huolta
pitämään. Illalla tultuaan hän kysyy ketulta: »Ovatko lapset saaneet
ruokaa?» Kettu laulaa huilutteli viekkaasti ja salaperäisesti
vastaukseksi: »Syötin, juotin, kapaloin, Kekkuli-Matti, Kekkuli-Matti».
Väsyneenä karhu tyytyy tähän, menee maata ja aamulla taas lähtee
raskaisiin töihinsä. Illalla tultuaan hän keittää huttua ja käy
sanomassa revolle: »Tule itkijä syömään!» Repo vastaa: »En jouda,
vielä on virsi kesken, kinnersuonet kiskomatta, kantasuonet
katkomatta, perämalja perkkaamatta, päälotisko loppimatta!» —
»Kuinka lapset voivat?» — »Hyvin voivat, syötin juotin, kapaloin»,
vastasi kettu. Karhu tyytyi taas tähän ja meni seuraavana aamuna
tavalliseen tapaan töihinsä. Kun hän sitten illalla taas tulee
väsyneenä tupaan ja kysyy, ovatko lapset saaneet ruokaa, vastaakin
kettu, joka, jumalaton, oli syönyt sekä akan että lapset, röyhkeästi ja
ilkkuen⁻ »Tirru, lirru hännässäni, lallil-lallil laukussani, karhun pojat
vatsassani.» — »Kuule, annappas kun tulen itse katsomaan, miten
siellä ovat asiat», sanoi karhu pahaa aavistaen ja lähti aitalle.
»Poikasi ovat», selitti kettu aitan ovelta, »kasvaneet niin suuriksi,
ettet sinä mahdu sisään, ennen kuin minä tulen ulos.» Ja kettu tulee
ulos sekä lähtee samassa ryntäämään pakoon. Mutta huonosti hän
olikin nopeutensa laskenut, sillä lastensa kuolemasta raivostunut
karhu läksi häntä ajamaan kauhealla vauhdilla takaa. Kettu mennä
kujutti, kujutti, mutta ei auttanut, vaan jo tavoitti hänet karhu, hairaisi
niskasta kiinni ja muka kysyi: »Mihinkäs sinä menet?» Kettu
hädissään ja hämmästellen vastasi: »Minä menen pois.» — »No
lähde, veikkonen, palkkaasi ottamaan!» arveli siihen muka karhu ja
puristi hiukan kettua suussaan. Ketulla oli siinä kova hengen hätä.
Silloin kettu muisti, minkä kepposen hänelle oli tehnyt teeri, ja
päätti käyttää sitä hyväkseen, luottaen karhun yksinkertaisuuteen.
Hän rupeaa pyytämään: »Sano, hyvä ystäväiseni, vielä viimeisellä
hengen retkellä, kun minua piika rukkaa viedään, mistä nyt tuulee!»
Karhusta, joka on hyväsydäminen ja tyhmä, ei tämä pyyntö tuntunut
kohtuuttomalta, mutta ei hän kuitenkaan hirvinnyt avata suutaan,
mutisihan vain: »Hmh!» — »En minä kuullut, en minä kuullut»,
valitteli repo, mutta karhu vain nosteli päätään, katseli ja sanoi
uudelleen: »Hmh!» Kettu taas valittaa: »En minä kuullut, en minä
kuullut, sano vielä! Minä olen tullut säikäyksestä huonokuuloiseksi,
kun kurki pudotti minut korkealta kallioon. Lieneekö itätuuli?» Karhua
rupesi jo harmittamaan, kun toinen selvää pohjatuulta väittää
itätuuleksi, mutta ei vieläkään sanonut mitään. Uudelleen repo
kyseli, idästäkö nyt sitten tuulee, kunnes karhu menetti
kärsivällisyytensä ja täydellä voimalla ärjäisi: »Pohjoisesta!»
Suureksi täytyi siinä silloin suun venähtää ja kettu julmettunut pääsi
irti!

Nytpä kettu ei lähtenytkään juoksemaan kilpaa karhun kanssa,


vaan mennä jutkutteli korkean kiven päälle ja sieltä karhulle lauleli:

»Näin sitä kettu keikuttelee


Karhun poikia täynnä!»

Moitti vielä siinä karhua siitä, että aivan tahallaan laskee toisen
pois hampaistaan: »Olisit ennen vetänyt läpi hampaitten ja sanonut:
'Ii-itäisestä!', niin ei olisi suusi auennut. Oma syysi!» Ja kettu muka
vielä kiitteli karhua: »Ja palkkani minä olen saanut ja poikasi minä
olen syönyt!» Karhu kiukuissaan siinä väänteli kiviä ja kantoja, mutta
kettu nauroi: »Kynsi vain puita ja juuria, eivät sinun kyntesi minuun
ulotu!»
Mutta kun karhu ei näyttänytkään aikovan lähteä pois kiven
juurelta, ikävystyi kettu siellä oloonsa ja alkoi lepytellä karhua, älyten
hyvän lepytyskeinon. Hän tiesi karhun pitävän mehiläisen medestä
enemmän kuin mistään muusta herkusta maailmassa, ja uskotteli nyt
karhulle, että jos tämä säästää hänen henkensä, niin hän vie hänet
sellaiselle mesiäiskennolle, ettei vielä ole nähty. Paikalla rupesi
karhulla himoittamaan mettä ja mesileipää, ja hän lupasi säästää
ketun, jos tämä vain pitää puheensa. Niin unohti karhu lastensa
kuoleman ja ketun kavaluuden makean meden vuoksi ja kettu läksi
juosta litvittelemään hänen edellään lupaamalleen mesipaikalle.

Metsässä juoksennellessaan kettu oli sattunut paikalle, johon mies


teki karhun loukkua. Siinä oli maassa iso tukki, jonka mies oli kiiloilla
päästä halkaissut, mutta keskeyttänyt työnsä ja jättänyt kiilat vielä
paikoilleen. Mennään siinä nyt kahden, kettu edellä haistellen ja
kaivellen mättäitä ja kantoja, ja tullaan tälle paikalle. Silloinpa kettu
rupeaa kaivamaan rakoa, jossa hänellä muka oli se mehiläisen pesä,
mutta ei ole jaksavinaan saada sitä irti, vaan pyytää karhua
avukseen: »Eno», sanoo hän viekkaasti, »tuolla on makeata mettä
— kaivakaa syvältä!» Karhu, joka oli pelännyt ketun kaivaessa, että
jos vielä veijari syö kaiken meden, olikin tähän hyvin valmis ja pisti
käpälänsä tukin rakoon. Mutta kettupa samalla nappasikin kiilat pois,
jolloin rako laukesi kiinni ja karhu jäi käpälästään siihen. »Miltä
maistuu mesi?» kysyi sitten vielä päällisiksi kettu liuvari ja läksi
juosta lipottelemaan tiehensä nauraen ja pilkaten mennessään.
Karhu siitä kaikesta niin raivostui, että kiskaisi käpälänsä irti, vaikka
luut rutisivat ja nahka jäi. Kaukaa sen vielä nähdessään kettu huusi
hyvästiksi: »Eno oli velkaa ja vietiin kinttaat!»

Ei ollut ketun ilkeydellä ja jumalattomuudella enää rajoja, ja kovaa


kostoa vannoi hänelle nyt karhu, jonka lapsenpiianhaku-matka oli
päättynyt näin surkeasti sekä hänen lapsilleen että hänelle itselleen.
Päättäen odottaa käpälänsä paranemista nilkutti hän takaisin
kotiinsa, sillä aikaa kuin kettu lähti katselemaan, mitä hukka oli tällä
välin tehnyt, kun häntä ei ollut näkynyt niin pitkään aikaan.

Sen pituus, sen lyhyys, sen leveys.


XVI.

EI KÄRSIMÄTTÄ KIRJAVAKSI TULLA.

Jo on tukka tuulta nähnyt,


Hivus säitä hirveöitä,
Parta päiviä pahoja.

Lähti siitä sitten kettu aikansa oleiltuaan kälpäilemään kohti suden


pesää ja tapasi mennessään jäniksen. Tämä sanoi kohta nauraen
täyttä kurkkua ja huulet halki: »Jo sinulle, työpehtori, kurki teki
ikuisen häpeän!» — »Älähän huoli mitään, eihän se sinulle kuulu!»
vastasi repo ja sanoi, kun näki samalla kärpän pistävän esiin
kuononsa juurikan komosta: »Jos toisen vahingolla naurat, niin vielä
tuo pikku puikkari sinut syöpi!» Jussi katseli kärppää, halveksi sitä ja
sanoi: »Pienihän tuo elävä on — eihän se mitä jaksa syödä!» Mutta
kettu tuumi siihen vain salamyhkäisesti: »Ei se ole pienen pieni eikä,
suuren suuri, vaan söisi se silti sinutkin; haistapas, kuule, jos
uskallat, tuota komon suuta.» Ei älynnyt Jussi parka ketun
kavaluutta, vaan meni kuin menikin ylpeänä ja uuden voimansa
tuntevana nuuskiskelemaan komon suuta. Eipä aikaakaan, kun
kärppä jo jarrasi hänelle sieltä nenänvarteen ja oli tappaa hänet,
jolloin kettu ilkkui: »Se parhaiten nauraa, joka viimeksi nauraa!»
Harmissaan ja entistä halukkaampana pahantekoon juosta kälpäili
kettu liuvari nyt suden pesälle. Susi oli kuitenkin äreänä ketulle,
jonka kepposista oli jo saanut kuulla; hän aavisti nyt, ettei hänen
omakaan vahinkonsa tainnut niin aivan ilman ketun syytä olla.
Kiukkuisesti hän siis murahti: »Mitä sinä tulet minun pesälleni!» Kun
nyt kettu hukan jyrkästä tervehdyksestä huolimatta tunkeili pesälle
hävyttömästi, viattoman ja vilpittömän näköisenä, loppui hukan
kärsivällisyys ja hän törmäsi vieraansa kimppuun. Tämä läksi
suinpäin pakoon ja mennä pujahti juurikan alle, mutta hukka sai
jalasta kiinni ja veti hänet sieltä pois. Ketun ei nyt auttanut muu kuin
heittäytyä rukoilemaan henkensä edestä. Hän sanoi hukalle: »Älä
tapa minua, niin neuvon sinulle hyvän konstin!» Hukan uteliaisuus
heräsi ja hän kysyi heti: »No minkä?» Sattui siinä tiaisen akka
lentämään ruoanhaku-touhuissaan, jolloin kettu sen havaitessaan
älysi sanoa: »Neuvon sinulle vielä semmoisen konstin, että pääset
noin kulkemaan kuin tuo tiainen, puusta puuhun lentämään!» Sepä
oli nyt hukasta ihmeellinen taito, jonka hän välttämättä tahtoi oppia,
ja siksi hän säästi sen opettajan.

Lähdetään sitten kulkemaan yhdessä sinne päin, jossa kettu muka


sanoi lupaamansa konstin opettavansa. Kettu näki tikan nakuttavan
hongan kyljessä ja huomautti välinpitämättömästi, sivumennen ja
aivan kuin itsekseen: »Nuorempi olin mies, kun tuotakin kirjasin.»
Hukka kysymään ihmeissään: »Sinunko kirjaamasi se on?» Kettu
vastasi vain vaatimattomasti: »Minähän sitä kirjasin nuorra miessä
ollessani.» Kovin oli sudesta tikka kaunis lintu, ja siksipähän nyt
huokaisi: »Mitenkähän minäkin pääsisin noin kirjavaksi? Kirjaappas,
kuomaseni, minutkin, koska kerran sellainen taitoniekka olet!» »Ka,
saatanhan tuota kirjavoida», mukasi siihen kettu, ja sanoi hukalle,
kun sattui siinä vieressä, olemaan heinäsuova: »Nousehan tuonne
pieleksen päälle, niin minä laskeudun tänne juurelle hyrehtimään ja
konehtimaan.» Hukka totteli ja loikkasi pieleksen päälle, ketun vielä
varoittaessa: »Hautaudu niin syvään heinäpieleksen sisään, ettei
näy muuta kuin vähän korviasi!» Itse kettu nyt-—julmettunut—
menee pieleksen alle ja alkaa siellä tulta iskeä vilskuttaa ja
kalkutella. Pahaa aavistaen hukka kysyy: »Mitä siellä tassuttelet ja
kalkuttelet?» Kettu vastaa kavalasti: »Hiiret täällä vain heiniä
pehertävät ja itse minä tässä kynsiäni teroittelen, että pystyisivät.»
Jopa tarttui kipinä taulaan, johon kettu nyt rapeaa puhaltamaan. Jo
kysyy hukka: »Mikä siellä tohottaa?» — »Hiiret ne taas vain heiniä
kahisuttavat,» ilmoitti kettu tyynesti ja samalla pistikin pieleksen
palamaan.

Susi kauhistuu ja huutaa: »Sieltähän alhaalta nousee vahva savu,


jotta on täällä aivan tukehtua — pois minä hyppään!» Mutta kettu
kovasti varoittaa: »Älä lähde pois pieleksen päältä, ennen kuin minä
käsken — muuten jää kirjaaminen kesken!» Susi tyytyy, odottaa,
odottaa, kunnes jo rupeaa liekki ylettymään pieleksen päälle ja häntä
polttamaan, jolloin hän jo puhkee ähkimään: »Kyllä on kuumaa, kyllä
on kovaa! Ei tätä voi kärsiä!» Mutta kettu vain kieltelee ja kehoittelee:
»Pysy vain siellä, hukka kuoma, sillä kuta vaivat vaikeammat, sitä
kirjat kirkkahammat!» Ja kun susi ei enempää sietänyt, vaan loikkasi
alas, virkkoi kettu häntä katsellen: »No, nyt sinä tulit kirjavaksi
niinkuin tikka. Nyt oletkin oikea hallavaturkki ja viirunaama!»

Mutta suden nahkaa kirveli katkerasti ja hän sieppasi kettua


niskasta kiinni. Hädissään tämä ensin koetti vanhaa keinoaan ja
kysyi, mistä tuulee, mutta susi vastasikin hammastensa välistä, että
»idästä», eikä päästänyt kettua. Tämäpä hoksasikin tehdä uuden
kysymyksen: »Saatatko sinä, suttu rukka, sanoa kolmen puun nimeä
pitkältä miettimättä ja hyvin nopeasti?» Susi ällistyy, mutta tahtoo
näyttää osaavansa ja julistaa mahtavasti: »Honka, mänty, petäjä!»
Samalla kettu irtautuukin hampaista, pujahtaa ulommaksi ja pilkkaa:
»Eihän siinä ollut vasta kuin yksi puu — olisit sanonut edes 'paju,
rait', kataja, haapleptam tahi 'lepkuuskoi'!» Susi raivoissaan syöksyy
häntä tappamaan, mutta kettu taas houkuttelee: »Älä vielä tapa!
Tapa sitten, kun olen sinulle ensin sen lentokonstin opettanut!» Ei
malta nyt susi tappaa, kun ylen himoittaa hänellä oppia se
lentokonsti. Lähdetään liikkeelle siitä, sudella karvat karrella.

Mennään siinä yhdessä, kun jo kohdataankin karhu kuoma, jolla


on edessään aika hevosen raato. Ihmeissään ja peloissaan
pysyttelee kettu ulohtaalla muistaen äskeiset katalat kepposensa,
eikä näytä juuri susikaan halukkaalta menemään erikoisen lähelle
väkevää naapuriansa. Kettu vain kauempaa huhuilee: »Millä tavalla
olet saanut sen?» Kuullessaan kettu veijarin äänen karhu puree
itsekseen hammasta ja ajattelee: »Kyllä minä sinut kerrankin petän!»
Sitten hän selittää: »Kyllä sen mukavasti saa. Kun hevonen makaa
niityllä, niin ei muuta kuin menee hyvin verkkaiseen sen viereen,
sekoittaa hampaansa sen häntäjouhiin hyvin lujasti ja rääkäisee
sitten aika tavalla, jolloin se lähtee juoksemaan ja pakahtuu.
Menkäähän ja tehkää siten, niin saatte itsellenne hevosen.» Kettu
liuvari älysi kyllä karhun aikovan häntä pettää, mutta ei ollut
tietääkseenkään, sanoen vain hukalle: »Mennään ja hankitaan
mekin itsellemme hevonen, nälkäkin tässä rupeaa tulemaan. Minä
tiedän, missä on hevonen. Parempi on sitten opetella lentämään,
kun on vatsa täysi eikä suolia niin pahoin kurni». »Ka mennään!»
myöntyi jo susikin ja niin lähdettiin.

Tullaan sitten niitylle ja nähdään siellä vanha hevonen pää


alhaalla riipuksissa ja alahuuli vielä alempana, Sitä nyt siinä kauniilla
päiväpaisteella katsotaan ja kettu sanoo: »Sen alahuuli putoaa pian
— odottelehan tässä ja sieppaa se, minä pistäydyn tuossa
syrjempänä asialla.» Susi tekee työtä käskettyä, odottaa ja odottaa,
mutta kettu liuvari menee syvemmäksi nukahtamaan
auringonpaisteeseen ajatellen: »Odotahan nyt sinäkin, kuten minäkin
tein — makuuta päätä käpälällä!» Kun sai tarpeeksi nukutuksi, niin
tuli kysymään, joko huuli oli pudonnut. Ei ollut, jolloin kettu lohdutti
kiusaantunutta sutta: »Älä ole milläsikään, otetaan koko hevonen,
niinkuin karhu neuvoi!»

Menevät siitä sitten ja sanovat hevoselle: »Me syömme sinut


paikalla, sillä karhu on meille neuvonut semmoisen keinon, että sillä
sinut saa.» Hevonen siitä tiedustaa, minkälainen keino se sitten on,
ja kuultuaan karhun neuvon sanoo: »Hyvä se on keino, mutta ei
minusta nyt ole syötäväksi, kun minä olen näin laiha. Antakaahan
minä tässä kostuttelen itseäni tuonne Jaakon päivään saakka, niin
tulkaahan silloin, saatte paremman murkinan.» Mutta kettu kuiskaa
sudelle, ettei tässä nyt joudeta odottamaan, että se lentokonstikin on
opittavissa juuri nyt samalla, ja silloin susi ylpistyy sekä äyhkäisee
hevoselle, ettei odoteta, parasta on kun laittautuu syötäväksi nyt heti.
Silloin mukautuu hevonen kohtaloonsa ja sanoo: »No niin! Saat
sitten murkinasi! Mutta ei pidä täällä ruveta syömään, sillä tässä
pilautuu ihmisten niitty, sotkeutuu ja rapautuu heinikko.
Lähdetäänhän tuonne kuivalle kankaalle.» Kettukin tuppautui siihen
neuvomaan sanoen: »Joo, kuivalla maalla on hyvä keittää!»
Mennään siitä kuivalle maalle, kankaalle.

Silloin neuvoi sitten hevonen sutta: »Kun sinä nyt alat minua
syödä ja haukata takaapäin, niin käärihän häntä kaulaasi hyvin
tiukkaan, sekoita hampaasi häntäjouhiin ja sotke vielä käpäläsi
häntään hyvin lujasti. Muuten minä en pysy yhdessä kohti, vaan
pakenen ja hypin, kun minua ruvetaan syömään. Ja silloin kun alotat,
niin rääkäise kovasti ja nyki hännästä!» »Joo», neuvoi kettukin,
»sitten sinä samalla opit lentokonstin, kuten lupasin», ja niin teki susi
työtä käskettyä.

Ja siinä samassa kun susi rääkäisi, läksi hevonen myös


menemään, minkä ikinä kavioista irti sai, ja susi poukkoili ja sinkoili
perässä kivestä kiveen, puusta puuhun. Huutaa kettu perään
ilkkuen: »No nythän sinä lennät puusta puuhun kuin tiitisen akka!
Enkös opettanutkin sinua lentämään!» Sattui siinä Jussi
laukkailemaan metsässä juuri kun hepo sutta kiidätti.
Hämmästyneenä hän kysyi:

»Minne nyt Anterus ajavi,


Lehtopekka leuhkaisevi?»

Surkeasti valittaen ja huutaen kerkesi susi hänelle siinä vastata:

»Jumala tiesi, Jussi kulta,


Minne tästä vietänehen,
Kussa yötä lietänehen,
Kunne kuletettanehen,
Turkuhun vai Turun taakse,
Porihin vai Pohjanmaalle:
Silmät tähtiä lukeepi,
Sääret honkia hosuupi.
Tokko vauhti vaimennevi,
Retki kurja rauennevi,
Ennen kuin kaula katkeavi,
Hammas suusta lohkeavi,
Leuka kahdeksi menevi!»

»Näyttääpä todellakin siltä», kauhisteli mielessään siinä jänis,


»kuin ei sinun tiellesi, hukka parka, olisi tällä kertaa kestikievaria
määrätty!»

Niin potki ja raastoi koni susiparkaa kauheasti. Kettu meni jälessä,


näki hänen jäävän sinne kujan suuhun vaivaiseksi, ja löysi sieltä
paljon makeita luita, jotka hän kokosi säkkiin arvellen, etteipä tiedä,
vaikka niilläkin vielä jotakin tekisi. Mutta nyt hän pisti ne vain piiloon
ja läksi takaisin suden pesälle ilmoittamaan leskelle surusanomaa
hänen miehensä surkeasta kohtalosta. Mielessä hänellä kuitenkin oli
kepponen, jollaista ei vielä ollut Metsolassa tapahtunut.
XVII.

AKKARIEVULLA ON MONTA VASTUSTA.

Kontti konnalla selässä,


Jonka saapi konnuudella,
Sen kokoopi konttihinsa.

Mustat tuumat mielessä kettu mennä kälpäili takaisin suden


pesälle. Siellä ei sattunutkaan emäntä kotoisalle, jonka vuoksi kettu
kysyi pojilta: »Missä emonne on?» Pojat kysyivät epäluuloisesti
takaisin: »Mitä sinä hänellä tekisit?» Kettu sanoi siihen vain: »Eipä
tiedä», ja meni tiehensä, palataksensa kuitenkin pian takaisin. Silloin
hän uudelleen kysyi suden akkaa ja lausahti poikain
vastakysymykseen heitä kiusatakseen kaksimielisesti, että eipä
tiedä, mitä tuolle tekisi. Kun kettu oli jälleen poistunut, tuli suden
akka takaisin, jolloin pojat kertoivat hänelle, minkälainen vieras
pesällä oli käynyt ja mitä se oli sanonut. Hirmustuneena suden akka
päätteli, että tulehan vielä kolmas kerta, niin nähdään, mitä tehdään.
Hän asettui pesän läheisyyteen piiloon odottamaan ketun tuloa.

Jo tulla litvitteleekin tuolla kettu, mutta varovaisesti ja tarkkaan


ympärilleen tähyillen. Arvattavasti se pelkää, että suden akka on
tullut kotiin ja että pojat ovat sille kertoneet, mitä hän oli sanonut.
Tulee kuitenkin, luikailee, lähemmäksi, kunnes suden akka jo
kyllästyy odottamaan ja ryntää häntä kita auki tavoittamaan. Samalla
kettu puhaltautuu pakoon minkä käpälistä lähtee, ja niin lähdetään
toisiaan ajamaan.

Juostessaan kettu koko ajan miettii, millä tavalla saisi suden akalle
parhaiten oikein kipeän kepposen tehdyksi, ja muistaakin siinä erään
asian. Hän juoksee minkä jaksaa erään puun luo, joka jo juuressaan
tekee hyvin ahtaan haaran, kasvaen kahden korkean kiven välissä.
Siitä ahtaasta haarasta hän nyt pujahti lävitse ja suden akka törmäsi
arvelematta perään. Mutta nytpä kävikin niin, ettei suden akka siitä
mahtunutkaan, vaan kiilautui siihen lujasti kiinni. Nopeasti kuin vilaus
kiersi kettu uudelleen takaisin ja piteli suden akkaa siinä aika pahoin,
tämän kykenemättä ollenkaan vastustamaan. Nutuutettuaan häntä
täten hyväisesti lähti kettu kiireesti pakoon. Hän tunsi nyt itsekin, että
paras oli koettaa saada hänen ja suden akan väliin niin paljon maata
ja vettä kuin suinkin, ja siksi hän meni niin nopeasti kuin ikänä
mahdollista. Kauan juostuaan hän vihdoin tuli järven rannalle, jossa
oli suuri palanut kanto. Siinä hän nokesi itsensä aivan mustaksi,
jättäen vain valkean rintansa nokeamatta, ja meni sitten rannassa
olevaan veneeseen istumaan, ottaen melan käteensä ja siinä muka
meloskellen. Tuskin hän oli sen saanut tehdyksi, kun jo suden akka
saapuu jälkiä myöten huohottaen, tulee rannalle, näkee olion veneen
perässä ja kysyy: »Oletko, musta muuriainen, nähnyt kettu veijaria
tästä kulkevaksi?» Ei voinut nyt kettu kieltää vanhaa luontoansa,
vaan sanoi: »Näinhän toki! Juuri-ikään kyyditsin järven yli. Sanoi
menevänsä Inkerinmaalle.» — »No tiesikö tuo lurjus mitä uusia?»
kysyi suden akka varovaisesti. »Eipä se sen tärkeämpiä — suden
akkaa kehui nutuuttaneensa,» vastaa taas kettu liuvari. Silloin suden
akka lähti takaisin pesälleen ja mennessään itkeä kohotti: »Voi, voi!
Nythän sillä nauraa jo koko maailma!»

*****

Mutta koko Metsola oli tästä ja muista kepposista niin


suutuksissaan, että kettu päätti lähteä muille maille antaakseen
asiain vähän väljähtyä ja kansan saada muuta puheen ja ajatuksen
aihetta. Niinpä hän siis viskasi luusäkin selkäänsä ja lähti kulkemaan
kohti pohjoisia maita, niitä, joissa lappalaiset asuvat ja poroilla
ajetaan. Kulkee, kulkee, niin jo ajaa häntä lappalainen porollaan
vastaan. Kettu luita säkillä kantaa kentturoipi ja hyvin vaikeasti
nilkuttaa sekä sanoo lappalaiselle: »Myö porosi!» Lappalainen
pysäyttää, katselee häntä, kun hän raskaasti säkkiä selässään
hallitsee, ja kysyy: »Mitä sinulla on tuossa säkissä?»

»Siinä on hopeita»..— »No maksatko koko säkillisen, jos myön


poroni?» — »Maksan, mutta et saa katsoa niitä ennen kuin
kotonasi.» — »Oli menneeksi!» arvelee siihen lappalainen, ottaa
säkin ja antaa ketulle poron sekä menee menojaan. Kettu kohta ajaa
poron suohon, tappaa sen sinne, syö, ei jätä muuta kuin sarvet ja
korvat, jotka suohon pystyttää kuin olisi poro siihen korvia myöten
vajonnut. Eipä aikaakaan, kun jo tulla touhottaa lappalainen takaisin
ja sanoo: »Eiväthän ne olleetkaan säkissäsi hopeita ja rahoja!
Luitahan ne olivat!» Kettu ei tästä kuitenkaan pahoin hätäydy,
sanoopahan vain: »Ei ollut, mies parka, hyvää minullekaan tuosta
porostasi. Siinä kun sen sain, jo suohon hyppäsi ja siihen jäi. Lähde
avuksi, niin nostetaan pois.» Menevät siitä suolle katsomaan ja kettu
sanoo miehelle, että nostakoon hän sarvista, kun paremmin jaksaa.
No, lappalainen tarraa sarvista kiinni, jotka siinä samalla töpsähtivät
hänelle käteen. »Niinkuin näet», sanoi kettu, »sinne märkäni porosi».
Lappalainen menetti poronsa, mutta kettu liuvari juoksi ilkkuen
tiehensä, jatkaen retkeilyään vierailla mailla ja piillen piilojansa.

Kauan kuitenkin riitti Metsolassa puhetta ketun viekkaudesta ja


kavaluudesta, ja vanha korppi, niin vanha, ettei sen ikää voinut
kukaan sanoa, se kun elää niin kauan, tiesi kertoa, ettei kettu ensi
kertaa sudelle onnettomuutta tuottanut. »Kuinka niin, setä?» kysyttiin
siinä silloin, jolloin korppi kertoi Metsolan väelle seuraavan
tapauksen hämärästä muinaisuudesta.

»'Mitäs joutilaana juokset, miksi et istu työssäsi, niinkuin on


määräsi?' kysyi hän ankarasti ketulta, joka alamaisesti ja perin
nöyränä esiintyi hänen edessään. Kettu vinkaisi vastaukseksi: 'Mutta
minähän vasta arvokkaassa työssä olinkin, kun olin sairaalle
jalopeuralle ja kuninkaalle lääkityksiä etsimässä!' — 'Löysitkös
jotakin?' kysyi jalopeura ollen jo mielihyvillään. 'En vielä, vaikka juuri
kyllä olin löytämäisilläni; olin vanhan riihen nurkassa asuvan
hämähäkin puheilla ja se lupasi antaa minulle hyvän neuvon'.

»'No lähde joutuisasti uudestaan kysymään! Sinä olet liukas


kieleltäsi ja ehkä saat siltä sanan soveliaan sipaistuksi'. Mitäpä siinä
— kettu lähti vastamäkiä ja maita kiertelemään, kunnes jonkun ajan
viivyttyänsä palasi takaisin. 'Saitkos tietää?' kysyi jalopeura. 'Mikä
saadessani', vastasi kettu tärkeänä. 'No minkä neuvoni antoi
hämähäkki?'» — 'No sen, että jos susi nyljettäisiin ja sen nahka
pantaisiin kuninkaalle sairaan paikan päälle, niin paranisitte kohta.'

»Niinpä jalopeura heti viittasi karhulle, että otappas susi kiinni ja


vedä siltä nahka selästä. Karhu, joka oli hyvä nylkyri, päästikin
nahan suden selästä ja laski hänet paitasillaan kävelemään, mutta
kettu liuvari meni tiehensä ja siitä lähtien on hänellä ollut pahanteko
ainaisena työnä.»
Tällaisen tarinan kertoi Metsolan väelle vanha ja viisas korppi, ja
kaikista tuntui, että johan tämä nyt on vallan kauheata, kun ei tuolta
ketulta julmettuneelta, taida enää säilyä kukaan! Onneksi hän nyt
näytti hävinneen Metsolan mailta.

Semmoinen se!
XVIII.

MILLÄ KYNSITÖN PUUHUN NOUSEE.

Näki hiekalla hevosen,


Kuloharjan kuusikolla,
Senpä tukka tulta tuiski,
Harja suihkivi savua.

Eletään nyt Metsolassa karhu ja susi sekä muut elävät ilman


kettua, joka kaukaisilla mailla harhailee piilojansa piilemässä.
Huomataan sitten, että yhä enemmän rakentelee Ilmolan väki
ansojansa ja loukkujansa heidän poluilleen ja päätetään vihdoin
lähteä tarkemmin tutkimaan tuota Ilmolan puolta, että päästäisiin
selville, miksi he rakentavat noita pyydyksiään. Uhataan myös, että
paljon tehdään nyt Ilmolan väelle pahaa, kun kerta tästä liikkeelle
lähdetään. Sanoi karhu sudelle: »Minä menen tuonne Horpolle, sillä
siellä on suuri ruuna, se, jolla on se iso pelotinkello kaulassa. Mene
sinä Kääpälään. Kettu repale, jos olisi näillä mailla, saisi mennä
Piippolaan, Immilään ja Katilaan, mutta keretäänpähän tässä
niihinkin». Ne olivat kaikki Ilmolan taloja nämä. Lähdetään siinä nyt
kumpikin omalle suunnalleen.
Karhu kuljeskelee Horpon maille ja onnistuukin pian kaatamaan
karjalaumasta härän, josta söi oikein kyllikseen, ja lähti sitten
jatkamaan matkaansa. Mutta mitenkä nyt sattuikaan niin
onnettomasti, että hän polkaisi jalkaansa terävän piikin, joka teki
syvän haavan ja tarttui niin lujaan kiinni, ettei hän saanut sitä pois.
Tuskissaan hän koetti kolmella jalalla kompuroida eteenpäin, mutta
huonostihan se kävi, ja yhä tuimemmin rupesi jalkaa viha voimaan.
»Mikä ihme tässä nyt tulee neuvoksi!» valitti hän ja lähti kömpimään
tielle päin toivoen kohtaavansa jonkun, joka voisi häntä auttaa. Juuri
kun hän saapui tielle, sattui siitä kulkemaan vanha akka, joka
paikalla lepsahti istualleen säikähdyksestä nähtyään karhun.
Tämäpä vain rauhallisesti meni akan luo ja ojensi hänelle
kämmentänsä, jossa törrötti ruma piikki, ja akallapa oli sen verta
älyä, että ymmärsi kiskaista sen pois. »Kas sillä lailla!» ihastui nyt
karhu, »sinäpä ymmärtäväinen akka olet, sinua täytyy palkita,
odotahan!» Mutta kun karhu kääntyi menemään pois, yrittikin akka
lähteä tiehensä. »No on siinä akkaa!» suutahti nyt ohto, »miten minä
voin sinua palkita, kun pois lähdet!» Ja estääkseen akan
poistumasta hän varmuuden vuoksi vyörytti suuren kiven hänen
helmaansa arvellen, että »etköhän nyt pysy paikoillasi», ja kävi sitten
kiireesti hakemassa kaatamansa härän komean reiden akalle
paistiksi ja poistui. Vasta kaukana hän sitten muisti, ettei ollut
huomannut vierittää kiveä pois eukon helmasta. Ei hän kuitenkaan
viitsinyt palata enää takaisin, vaan jatkoi matkaansa.

Sillä aikaa kun tämä tapahtui, oli Horpon kolme oinasta suuttunut
emännälleen ja lähtenyt luvatta syömään vihantaan peltoon,
valkeaan vainioon. Ensimmäinen söi yhden päivän ja lähti kotiin
iltasella. Tulipas silloin karhu vastaan, juuri saapuneena Horpon
maille ja kysyi jyrkästi: »Mikä nimesi on?» Toinen vastaa: »Oinas!»
Karhu siihen vain ilmoittaa: »Minä syön sinut!», ja niin söi.
Toinen oinas söi vihannassa pellossa, valkeassa vainiossa kaksi
päivää ja lähti iltasella kotiin. Tuli karhu vastaan, samat laati tarinat ja
samat teki oinaalle lopuksi temput.

Kolmas oinas söi vihannalla pellolla, valkealla vainiolla kolme


päivää ja lähti kotiin iltasella. Taas tuli karhu vastaan ja kysyi
entiseen tapaansa: »Mikä nimesi on?» Vastasi toinen: »Oinas!»
Karhu uhkasi: »Minä syön sinut!» Silloinpa kolmas oinas ärjähtää:
»E-et syö, minä piikillä pistän, ruudilla poltan!» Kovasti siitä nyt
kontio ällistyy eikä uskalla ruveta syömään. Torataan vain ja
jankataan.

Oli siinä sitten edessä jyrkkä rinnemaa. Oinas määkäisee karhulle:


»Kun sinua sittenkin haluttanee syödä minut, niin mene tuonne
rinteen alle ja pane suusi auki ja silmäsi umpeen hyvin visusti sekä
odota; minä täältä mäen päältä vierin kurkkuusi!» Karhu taipuu ja
menee tekemään, kuten käsketty on, ajatellen: »Kun se tuolta jyryn
kanssa tulee kurkkuuni, niin silloin minä sen syön.» Mutta oinaspa
panikin suuren kiven vierimään karhua kohti ja se kun poukaisi äijää
otsaan, niin samassa olivat myös tallukat taivasta kohti. Kauan aikaa
meni, ennen kuin ukko riepu pääsi siitä virkoamaan, eikä mene
hevillä enää syömään oinaita, jotka käyvät laitumella vihannalla
pellolla, valkealla vainiolla.

Se oli karhun ensimmäinen kokemus Horpon väestä. Hän äityi


siitä niin, että nälissään rupesi Jumalaa vastaan kapinoimaan ja
ruokaa vaatimaan. Jumala kuitenkin häntä rankaisi ja sanoi: »Sinä
olet paljon pahaa tehnyt, ei sinulle anneta ruokaa.» Yhä kovempi
nälkä tulee karhulle ja hän uhmaa Jumalan rangaistusta ja päättää
itsekseen: »Lähden ja otan hevosen!» Lähtee siitä hevosta ottamaan
muistellen sitä Horpon suurta ruunaa, jolla on iso pelotinkello
kaulassa.

Ruuna on aholla laitumella, kun karhu siihen ehättää ja


vimmoissaan hyppää sen selkään. Mutta ruuna oli väkevä ja lähti
mennä kapistamaan aika vauhdilla kotiin Horppoon. Karhu kopristihe
hevoseen kiinni ja tapaili puita pitkin tien viertä niihin tarttuaksensa ja
pysähdyttääkseen hevosen. Ei saanut kuitenkaan kämmeniinsä
muuta kuin tien merkkiristin, joka jäi hänelle kainaloon. Viimeksi
roppasi kouransa pihamaan portin kamanaan, että saisi hevosen
kaatumaan, mutta ei saanut. Kun Horpon akat näkivät kaukaa tulijan
ja ristin sen kainalossa, niin luulivat pappinsa tulevan ja alkoivat
huutaa toisillensa: »Pyyhkikää pirttiä, pyyhkikää pirttiä! Pappi tulee,
pyhäristi kainalossa!» Ruuna lennätti näin karhua pihan
katospohjaan asti, jossa orsi pyyhkäisi hänet maahan.
Puolipyörryksissä hän pääsi siitä laukkaamaan metsään, vannoen
kostoa ilkeälle Horpon ruunalle.

Niin nyt karhu hioo hammasta Horpon isännälle ja hänen vankalle


ruunalleen, ja selvittyään pyörryksistään lähtee heitä hakemaan.
Tuleekin siitä kesannolle, jota Horpon isäntä ruunallaan kyntää niin
että pöly pilveilee. Karhu heittäytyi leikkisäksi ja sanoi:
»Vedetäänpäs sormikoukkua!» Mutta Horpon isäntä vastaa vain:
»Tuossa on minulla isä-vanha aidan takana — menehän ensin sen
kanssa vetämään.» Karhu menee aidan taakse vanhan isännän
pakinoille ja vaatii sitä sormikoukun vetoon.

Vaari siellä parhaillaan halkaisi isonlaista pölkkyä. »Sopiihan tuota


koettaa, sormikoukun vetoa», sanoi hän ja raotti kirveellään pölkyn
tiukkaa halkeamaa hiukan. »Pistähän aluksi tuonne sormesi», sanoi
hän, »ja repäise, vankka mies kun olet, vaikkapa tämä pölkky

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