"In the Penal Colony," by Franz Kafka

In olden times, the executions were transcendent experiences, which were beneficial even for children, as the officer explains: "Often I crouched down there with two small children in my arms, on my right and left."

The Traveler arrives just as a man is condemned to be executed for breaking the command, "Honor Your Superiors": "The Condemned Man had an expression of such dog-like resignation that it looked as if one could set him free to roam around the slopes and would only have to whistle at the start of the execution for him to return."

 

A close up of the convicted. No need to worry about a trial, because "guilt is always beyond doubt."

He will be executed on the Apparatus, which is supposed to inscribe the laws broken by the condemned onto their skin, until they are enlightened enough to understand the Law (at which point they die):

The blood flows into a nearby pit:

When the Traveler informs the Officer that he is not in favor of this procedure, the Officer immediately condemns himself to execution for violating the principle, "Be Just." However, the Apparatus fails miserably. It doesn't enlighten, but rather merely kills, the Officer: