Though they hated and despised them, everyone loved having the scapegoats around. They were so handy to take people’s minds off the real causes of their troubles. Point to the scapegoats and then rob them, beat them, spit on them, behead them, round them up, corral them, ship them, gas them, then burn them up in the ovens. Stupid scapegoats didn’t even use their horns
to protect themselves.
Some of the scapegoats fled the hunting grounds and moved back to the harsh desert of their origin. There was a very long dark cold night. The scapegoats huddled together and slept. Then the bright desert sun rose and they awoke. But when the scapegoats awoke they were transformed. What had once been a pathetic herd of trembling goats had been changed into a proud pride of lions and lionesses. The bullying bearded goatherds saw the transformation but did not believe.
“ They are still the lowly scapegoats of old that our Book says we are destined to Lord over till the day we get to slaughter them all. But if they have become cats, we will kill them by driving them into the sea, where they will drown, since cats cannot swim.”
From near and far the bearded goatherds gathered riding on borrowed war beasts bearing borrowed weapons and numbering 12 for every one of the transformed scapegoat they attacked with the bloated confidence of born bullies. And the lions, their sharp claws shining in the desert sun tore the bullies into bloody ribbons and drove them from the pastures they had stolen long, long ago. The bearded goatherds have hated the lions, more than they hated the scapegoats, ever since. The devious deluded goatherds think they will one day defeat the lions. The lions laugh.
In a hidden den deep below the desert death's deadly jewels glow. Above the trove is written: "WE WILL NOT GO TO THE OVENS ALONE AGAIN!"
Ted Getzel
Some of the scapegoats fled the hunting grounds and moved back to the harsh desert of their origin. There was a very long dark cold night. The scapegoats huddled together and slept. Then the bright desert sun rose and they awoke. But when the scapegoats awoke they were transformed. What had once been a pathetic herd of trembling goats had been changed into a proud pride of lions and lionesses. The bullying bearded goatherds saw the transformation but did not believe.
“ They are still the lowly scapegoats of old that our Book says we are destined to Lord over till the day we get to slaughter them all. But if they have become cats, we will kill them by driving them into the sea, where they will drown, since cats cannot swim.”
From near and far the bearded goatherds gathered riding on borrowed war beasts bearing borrowed weapons and numbering 12 for every one of the transformed scapegoat they attacked with the bloated confidence of born bullies. And the lions, their sharp claws shining in the desert sun tore the bullies into bloody ribbons and drove them from the pastures they had stolen long, long ago. The bearded goatherds have hated the lions, more than they hated the scapegoats, ever since. The devious deluded goatherds think they will one day defeat the lions. The lions laugh.
In a hidden den deep below the desert death's deadly jewels glow. Above the trove is written: "WE WILL NOT GO TO THE OVENS ALONE AGAIN!"
Ted Getzel
