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LIBERTIES AND ALL
The
meeting was called to order early in the morning after all the animals
of the swamp had arrived. Old Charlie, the biggest alligator of them
all, crawled up on a stump to address the other creatures.
"I'm
delighted to see so many friends out on this fine morning," he said.
"As you all know, the alligators of Keepher Swamp kinda rule the place.
I guess it's no secret that we're in charge. We have the biggest teeth
and the most vicious claws and, frankly, we're a take-charge sort of
creature in a whatever world. So, as you know, it is necessary to
occasionally eat one you now and then and let me just say right now
that there's no hard feelings on our part."
An uncomfortable feeling swept through the crowd of gathered critters.
"But I'm here with some good news, friends," Old Charlie continued.
"Truth-be-known, we've kept you almost as slaves here in Keepher Swamp.
That is about to change. The other gators and myself have decided to
give you your freedom. We have decided to grant liberty to all of you."
"Liberty?" Frances Frog asked. "You're giving us our liberty? Exactly what is liberty?"
"Well, Frances, I'm glad you asked," Old Charlie said. "Yes. Yes, I am
because liberty is something you hear about all the time. It isn't
always easy to put your finger on it. Liberty, dear friends, is the
right to move about without fear. You'll have the freedom to choose
your own path in life. The freedom to say or do what you like will be
all yours. Now, what do you think about that? Oh, I forgot to mention
that we'll still be trying to eat you all the time. But you will be
free."
"Wait a minute," Marsha Muskrat said, "how does that make us free?"
"Well, you're free to move about the swamp as you like. That's your liberty."
"But we'll still be eaten."
"That's correct," Old Charlie said.
"Well, how is that liberty?" Marsha Muskrat
demanded. "That sounds no different than what we have right now."
"Ok, see you don't understand," Old Charlie said. "No, what you have
now is something totally different. You're slaves, right? You work for
us and then we eat you when we get hungry. That's how the world works.
Now, you'll still be working for us and we'll still eat you when we
want but you're have your liberty, ok? Is that clear?"
"No,"
Frances Frog shouted. "There's nothing clear about that. We won't
accept it. As for me, give me liberty or give me death."
"Well," Old Charlie said with a sly, hungry smile, "if you insist.
Boys! I think it's dinner time, if you know what I mean!"
At
that instant, all the alligators in Keepher Swamp suddenly took out
after the smaller creatures, snapping powerful jaws and grabbing with
sharpened claws.
"Quick!" Marsha Muskrat commanded, "everyone into the trees!"
"Of course," Frances Frog said. "The alligators can't climb trees. We will finally have our liberty."
All the animals of the swamp scurried up the nearest
tree, safe from the reaches of Old Charlie and his friends.
"Get down here!" Old Charlie barked. "You don't have the liberty to do that."
"We're taking the liberty," Marsha Muskrat shouted.
"And I don't think there's anything you can do about it."
But there was. The alligators stayed next to the trunks of the trees
just waiting for one of the soft creatures to set foot on the ground.
Only these animals were smart enough to wait. They waited and waited
and waited even longer until the alligators got so hungry they finally
had to go away.
As Old Charlie slunk away, Marsha Muskrat
called after him, "We've decided to give you your liberty, Old Charlie.
Liberty to vote with your feet if you don't like it here in Keepher
Swamp."
Old Charlie was not amused. As he lumbered off, he
turned one last time towards all the soft creatures in the trees
surrounding the swamp and said, "You'll miss us soon enough, critters.
There's not a one of you with that take-charge attitude around here.
You'll starve to death in no time. We offered you liberty and you took
too much. Now you must live with your choice."
Funny thing was, the animals of Keepher Swamp did just fine without the alligators, liberties and all.
The End
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