i think the "$" should indicate the perl-shell.

Update: because when you run the code with the "$" then you get

Variable "$fred" is not imported at ...
    (Did you mean &fred instead?)
Global symbol "$fred" requires explicit package name at ...
Execution of test.pl aborted due to compilation errors.
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instead of the OPīs output.

Update: Ah. no. itīs the use strict in the wrong place that allows that "$fred". Above error only arises when you move the "use strict;" outside the subroutine. So in the OPīs code, the subroutine does not get called at all!!