Election in Animal Farm
(written May 7, 2004)
There was an animal farm which was not like any other animal farm. You see, the animals get to elect a Supreme Animal every six years.
This year is an election year and there are six candidates for Supreme Animal. They could not be more different from each other.
The first candidate is a Pig. It claims it deserves to continue as Supreme Animal because -- all animals should know this -- the Pig is the brainiest animal in the farm, or outside the farm for that matter. It claims experience has taught it how to run the farm and how to solve all the problems of the farm despite mixed results in the past. The problem is that, even if this Pig is diminutive, animals suspect gargantuan greed -- particularly those of the other pigs around it. The other animals suspect that the pigs are hoarding most of the food in the farm for themselves, although there is no evidence except their increasing girth.
The harshest accusation of the pigs' greed comes from the second candidate, a Dog. It is a fierce dog. Its reputation scares the foxes who want to get inside the farm to hunt for chickens. It helps the animals feel safe. But it is an uneasy feeling because one time some chickens mysteriously disappeared and chicken blood was found on the Dog's paws. Of course, the Dog denies it killed the chickens and said it was fighting off the foxes. This dog is as sly as a fox and able to answer questions from the other animals with a dog's grin, if not a disguised growl.
The third candidate is a Parrot. It is very good at looking good. It preens for everyone and many animals come to see it. Hardly does it say a word in reply to questions, and when it does, it's always the same hardly intelligible phrase. Occasionally it croaks a longer sentence but it sounds like an echo of someone, like a script. Despite sounding hollow, many animals believe the words coming from the Parrot and think the farm needs a Supreme Animal like it.
The fourth candidate is a Dove. It claims it has a mandate from heaven because -- and all animals should read their bible -- the dove has appeared at crucial times in the gospels. When asked how it would run the farm, the Dove has a ready answer -- it would rule from above, high above the mundane things that other animals worry about. It would rule looking up, not looking down, while waiting for answers from heaven.
The fifth candidate is an Owl. It looks wise and sounds wise, although it is known for its occasional dark moods and temper. Many animals believe the Owl is up to the job of Supreme Animal, but its stubborn refusal to go down its high branch and alter its nocturnal nature has won it few friends. It suddenly left the farm for a couple of weeks, leaving its followers confused. It came back looking like it lost a few feathers in its wings.
The last candidate is a Duck. Actually it thinks it is a goose. And it promised to lay a golden egg for each of the animals in the farm. Although it claims to be a goose that could do such a feat, all the animals thought that it walked like a duck, talked like a duck, and must be a duck. It was dismissed as a quack and promptly banished from the farm.
Who will the animals choose as their Supreme Animal?
There was an animal farm which was not like any other animal farm. You see, the animals get to elect a Supreme Animal every six years.
This year is an election year and there are six candidates for Supreme Animal. They could not be more different from each other.
The first candidate is a Pig. It claims it deserves to continue as Supreme Animal because -- all animals should know this -- the Pig is the brainiest animal in the farm, or outside the farm for that matter. It claims experience has taught it how to run the farm and how to solve all the problems of the farm despite mixed results in the past. The problem is that, even if this Pig is diminutive, animals suspect gargantuan greed -- particularly those of the other pigs around it. The other animals suspect that the pigs are hoarding most of the food in the farm for themselves, although there is no evidence except their increasing girth.
The harshest accusation of the pigs' greed comes from the second candidate, a Dog. It is a fierce dog. Its reputation scares the foxes who want to get inside the farm to hunt for chickens. It helps the animals feel safe. But it is an uneasy feeling because one time some chickens mysteriously disappeared and chicken blood was found on the Dog's paws. Of course, the Dog denies it killed the chickens and said it was fighting off the foxes. This dog is as sly as a fox and able to answer questions from the other animals with a dog's grin, if not a disguised growl.
The third candidate is a Parrot. It is very good at looking good. It preens for everyone and many animals come to see it. Hardly does it say a word in reply to questions, and when it does, it's always the same hardly intelligible phrase. Occasionally it croaks a longer sentence but it sounds like an echo of someone, like a script. Despite sounding hollow, many animals believe the words coming from the Parrot and think the farm needs a Supreme Animal like it.
The fourth candidate is a Dove. It claims it has a mandate from heaven because -- and all animals should read their bible -- the dove has appeared at crucial times in the gospels. When asked how it would run the farm, the Dove has a ready answer -- it would rule from above, high above the mundane things that other animals worry about. It would rule looking up, not looking down, while waiting for answers from heaven.
The fifth candidate is an Owl. It looks wise and sounds wise, although it is known for its occasional dark moods and temper. Many animals believe the Owl is up to the job of Supreme Animal, but its stubborn refusal to go down its high branch and alter its nocturnal nature has won it few friends. It suddenly left the farm for a couple of weeks, leaving its followers confused. It came back looking like it lost a few feathers in its wings.
The last candidate is a Duck. Actually it thinks it is a goose. And it promised to lay a golden egg for each of the animals in the farm. Although it claims to be a goose that could do such a feat, all the animals thought that it walked like a duck, talked like a duck, and must be a duck. It was dismissed as a quack and promptly banished from the farm.
Who will the animals choose as their Supreme Animal?
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