The Barbarians

Some time ago I moved the goats into the pasture with my stallion who is not nearly the elitist that Montoya has shown himself to be. Sultan is very patient and polite with 'hard-working country folk.' Unfortunately this is proving to be a problem, since the Peasants are getting a bit too pushy.

This morning I fed the animals and was about to leave the barn when that little voice that whispers, "Take another peek at the horses," tapped me on the shoulder. Sure enough, a very unhappy stallion was standing in the corner of his stall while the peasants were running amok in the palace! Like Barbarians, the hordes had rushed in and were knocking each other over as they spread his hay about the stall in a feasting frenzy. Poor Sultan, who has only lived with cats and chickens, had no idea how to behave when Peasants storm The Palace, so with eyes like saucers, he stood in the corner, deposed and dejected.

In the next stall, Montoya thoughtfully chewed his hay and watched all this great interest. For a moment, I seriously considered switching the animals around; perhaps the Peasants needed the taste of a different kind of Aristocratic Authority. But while Sultan is a benign monarch, Montoya's leadership style is a more like Attila the Hun, so I opted against it. Instead, I got Sultan a haybag and put it high enough that the peasants couldn't reach it. Then I reminded him that it took more than pedigree to be a ruler, and clearly democracy wasn't going to work to his advantage.

We'll see how it works. If the Peasants continue to act like Barbarians, Attila will be happy to be their new King.