Bitt Wachwerden

Animal Farm 2016 Bitt Wachwerden

While completing visits to all the U. S. Presidential Libraries to better appreciate what events and parental behaviors formed the young boys who would eventually become presidents, the narrating couple of this short story accidentally uncovered an example of what should not be done. On the visit to one of these libraries, the Herbert Hoover Library in Iowa, they accidentally stopped at a nearby farm that had been taken over by the animals after having been abandoned by the last generation of human owners. It had become apparent to the animals that each succeeding generation of humans was progressively becoming more self-centered and hedonistic and less capable or willing to effectively manage the MacDonald Farm. After a long, bitter campaign one particularly self-centered, egotistical pig of championship proportions won by virtue of a quirk in the procedures over his opponent, a donkey. This pig, Ronald, The Drump, MacDonald manages the farm to the benefit of himself, his family, and his friends. If the other animals benefit at all, it is quite by accident and not by design. He is unable to lead and resorts to threats, intimidation, and bullying. He is unable to understand, appreciate, or anticipate consequences of his decisions. Being a pig, he has little knowledge of the past and of course no knowledge of the future. He charges ahead, tears things up, and then claims credit for having saved the day when he puts what is left back together. The end of his actions is seldom an improvement over the situation existing before he acted. The story concludes with the reader being asked to select one of five alternative endings. In the process of making this selection, the reader is guided into making a connection between the political events of the early twenty-first century and major events of the mid-twentieth century. Remaining silent when one ought to cry out is never advisable. The great American presidents and political and moral leaders of the past did not remain silent while events demanded citizens speak out. The author elected to write this story under a pen name. The selection of which will be revealed in the final two words of this story.