An Allegory



There once was a flock of 100 sheep and one goat. The sheep, one and all, male and female, were named Ovinia because they were sheep. The goat was named Liberty because he wasn't.

The flock lived on a hillside which was required to be green by Greenpeace, so it was. No building was allowed on the hillside by the municipal building code restrictions, so there was none. The grasses there were regularly demolished by the grass-glutton rodent, which did nothing but destroy pastures and spread disease. But the rodent was an endangered species so, of course, they were protected by the EPA.

The flock was not allowed to leave and seek vegetation elsewhere without a license from the County Moving Hoof Division. And since their hooves did not meet safety requirements set forth by the Consumer Protection Agency, they could not get a license.

So as time went on, they all grew pitifully thin, but no one was concerned because it was politically correct to be pitifully thin. Besides that, they were always thirsty. The water rights to the hillside were owned by Corporate Agribusiness and redirected by loud machinery to the pigs some pastures away, because pigs are worth more than sheep, as everyone knows.

One day Liberty the goat, who subscribed to an illegal belief called "freedom", had a thought. He decided to share his thought with the sheep, because sheep have none.

So he called a meeting of the flock and announced that, since they had no freedom to provide for themselves there, he would lead them to a different pasture where they could find more grass, more water, and maybe even a shelter from the storms. The sheep could not hear him, because they were required by civil law to stare into space and "baahh" loudly whenever the word "freedom" was mentioned.

But since sheep are known to blindly follow all the other sheep, Liberty began to trot by the side of one of the Ovinias, engaging her in conversation about games of playing with balls, because everyone knows ball games are a subject of vital importance. Much more so than dull matters of freedom and survival.

As they trotted, all the rest of the flock followed behind without any thought at all. Not one Ovinia asked where they were going. They simply followed blindly. They were careful, of course, to obey the pasture signs that said Slow or Stop or Kneel Down, as they had been taught from lambhood to do. This slowed them down quite a bit, and all the kneeling cost them a good portion of wool, but eventually Liberty had led the flock to the top of the hill.

There they could look down into the pasture on the other side, which looked very lush and tall. But there they also found a sign which said "No Sheep Allowed" barring the way down. "Baahh", said all the Ovinias, "we must go back now for we are not allowed here."

But as they turned, they noticed another sign barring the way back which said "Handicapped Sheep Only", and saw that the entire top of the hill, with the best access to either side, was marked to remain empty in case a handicapped sheep came along and needed to stand there.

So they looked to the right and saw a beautiful forest with deep shade and lush vegetation. "Then we shall go this way", said Liberty the goat. For even sheep should agree that Right is good. But to the right stood another sign, which said "No Trespassing. Owned by the Government Bureau of Land Management." So the sheep would not follow him there either.

The 100 Ovinias all turned to the left, and saw nothing. That's because there was a cliff to the left, but they did not realize that, because it was so comforting to see nothing. 100 sheep began trotting to the left as one.

"No, no!" called Liberty. "All that is Left is a cliff to fall off of!"

100 sheep trotted faster and began to gallop as well as sheep can. All of one accord, the flock surged to the cliff.

"No!" cried Liberty. "It is better to take your freedom than to die obeying rules!"

There was a horrible mass bleating and baahhing as all the sheep tumbled in waves over the cliff to certain death. Then there were no sheep at all.

Liberty stood alone.

© 2000 by sharon goodman

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