George not crying wolf: an allegory in one act, with sheep

George stood over the dead body of the sheep. The sheep at his feet was one of the 200 sheep… George stood over the dead body of the sheep. The sheep at his feet was one of the 200 sheep that died that day. George’s body felt cold and weary.

George turned to the sheep that had survived the wolf attack and shouted, “How many of us are left?” There were only 30 sheep still alive.

“George, what will we do? Who did this?” the remaining sheep asked him.

“I will determine who did this and decide what is best. I will have an answer at sunrise tomorrow,” George said. George turned and walked slowly off into the field by himself.

The next day at sunrise, all the sheep gathered around the large rock where George would speak. A hush fell over the sheep when George climbed atop the rock and raised his head.

“I know who did this,” George bellowed. “It was the same man who killed my father. It was the farmer!” The group’s eyes widened and they began to talk among themselves. George continued: “We must rid our world of this evil threat to us and to all the animals of the farm. We must find the farmer and kill him.” The sheep’s conversations grew louder, so loud that George had to ask the group to quiet down before he could continue.

Silence came, but one of the sheep near the back of the crowd shouted, “This wasn’t the work of the farmer. This was the work of a pack of wolves!” George quickly replied, “Yes, you are correct. The farmer is in league with the wolves to wipe all of us animals out. The farmer is evil and conspires with all those who are evil as well.” This sent the sheep into frenzy.

“Kill the farmer!” the group shouted.

In the following months, George organized all the sheep into an army, despite the fact that some sheep didn’t want to join. First, he had them locate the farmer’s house. Now, he was creating a plan to kill the farmer. He would finally be able to avenge his father’s death. Unfortunately for George, more and more of the sheep were starting to doubt whether the farmer had anything to do with the attack. After rumors started to spread, some sheep questioned George’s ideas, and dissent was growing in the ranks. George decided to give another speech.

“Fellow sheep, I know some of you have doubts about whether the farmer was to blame in the vicious attack on us sheep. Let me assure you, it was the farmer who attacked us. I heard him conspire with the wolves. I’ve seen him buying more guns and he is readying to attack us again! We must kill the farmer before he can kill any more of us. The farmer is a vicious man. Have you seen the way he treats his own family? He beats his wife and takes his belt to his children’s backs. The farmer is a cruel and vicious man and it is our duty to protect ourselves and all the other animals of the farm by destroying the threat of the farmer!”

That night, the sheep killed the farmer. In the days that passed, some of the sheep had to stay at the farmer’s house and care for his family. Without the farmer, the house was in disarray. Back at the field, George was back on top of the large rock, speaking again to the sheep.

“Fellow sheep, the threat of the farmer has passed. But we still must care for his family because we have a responsibility to help all creatures of the farm. I am sending 10 more sheep to the house this afternoon to aid in the family’s recovery.”

The sheep who remained in the field were unsettled by George’s plans. “You are sending too many sheep to care for the family. There is no one left to guard us if the wolves should return,” one of the sheep said. The other sheep agreed with him.

“The wolves are not a major threat to us. Once the farmer was destroyed, our only major threat was destroyed. I will take care of the wolves myself. Don’t worry about them. Go and care for the farmer’s family,” George commanded. And the 10 sheep went, leaving only 10 remaining in the field.

That night, while the sheep in the field slept and the sheep in the farmer’s house cared for his family, the wolves returned. The sheep in the field were awakened by screams of agony from the sheep around them, as the wolves tore into their flesh. As the pack of wolves devoured the sheep in the field, the sheep from the house saw what was happening and hurried back to the field to attack the wolves. The sheep from the house were disorganized and came at the wolves in packs of 10, the first 10 having left the house faster than the second 10. As each group arrived, the wolves gobbled them up until all the sheep had been eaten. The wolves licked their lips hungrily and grinned evil grins. “Foolish sheep,” they said. The wolves moved over the field. The cows were next.

David J’s personal slogan is “Me All Me Got.” Send e-mails regarding allegory or slogans to davidj@pittnews.com.