ART CHECK: Parable of the animal farm contest

This was a highly-sought-after position, one capable of shaping the future of all corners, from the mightiest to the humblest.

The time had come for the Eastern Corner to produce its next candidate, for each corner took turns every two years. In the Eastern Corner, two leaders were chosen to contest, and whoever won would lead the entire farm for the coming term.

X and Y were the contenders from this corner. X, a popular figure, had grown up in the heart of the Eastern Corner. He had been a local hero for long, a figure who had often stood bravely to save his sub-corner from the brink of disaster. The government of his land, now supporting him in this contest, loved him, for he had once stood in the gap between bloody mass youth protests and the government, stopping a great political crisis from tearing the farm apart.

The young animals saw him as their protector and leader, yet they never understood the weight of the decisions he had to make for the greater good in their war with the government. When he stepped into the contest for AFC leadership, it seemed like destiny had favoured him, and they saw in this a chance at retribution.

On the other hand, there was Y, a candidate who had quietly gathered the hearts of his sub-corner’s residents. While he lacked the public charisma of X, his actions spoke louder than words. Y wasn’t about flashy speeches or grand gestures.

Instead, he built his support in ways that reached deep into the soul of the farm, through his kindness, integrity and focus on long-term unity. His support came from every member of his community who had lived alongside him, watching him grow and work diligently for the good of their corner.

With the contest now set, both X and Y embarked on their journey across the other corners of the farm. It was a contest not just of ideas but of influence. The two candidates, alongside their supporters, travelled far and wide, making promises, sharing plans and vying for the hearts and votes of the animals from the North, South and West corners.

But X’s path was not as smooth as it seemed. His local sub-corner, the one that had once adored him, began to turn its back on him. Some of the youth there, once his allies, saw him as a traitor. These youth had once staged protests, opposing the very government that X had helped save in the past.

They called him a betrayer, a man who had sold out the cause they believed in for the sake of the establishment. The bitterness from their protests spread, and before long, they started an online campaign that branded X a puppet of the government, a label that would follow him wherever he went.

Y, on the other hand, remained steadfast in his humble approach. His community, unified by their respect for him, rallied behind his candidacy. They believed in him and worked tirelessly to show the rest of the farm that he had the strength to lead with dignity. As they travelled from corner to corner, they spoke of his values and his ability to bring the farm together regardless of their differences.

Meanwhile, X, who had once been celebrated by all, now found himself under the weight of online criticism and whispered doubts. Every time he stepped into a new corner, the rumours spread faster than the wind. “X is a traitor,” the youth would say. “He doesn’t understand us. He never cared about the struggle.”

The more X tried to defend himself, the deeper the hole he dug. His arguments were lost in the sea of social media attacks, and his message became muddled. The more he tried to explain his past decisions, the more it seemed like he was distancing himself from the very people who had once been his strongest supporters.

And so it came to pass that the final votes were cast, and Y, though less flashy in his approach, emerged victorious. The Eastern Corner had chosen him to lead the entire farm.

As the animals of the farm celebrated, it became clear that the bitterness from X’s community had played a pivotal role in the outcome. By undermining their own candidate, the youth had only strengthened Y’s chances. Their division had allowed unity to bloom in another corner, and the farm would now have a leader who had the backing of not just his community but the strength of a unified vision for the future.

As the contest ended, the wise old tortoise, who had watched everything unfold, gathered the animals around. “Listen carefully, young ones,” the bald kobe said, his voice deep and full of wisdom. “There are two lessons to be learned from this contest.”

The animals gathered closer, eager to hear what the elderly kobe had to say.

“First,” he continued, “never wash your dirty linen in public. The world does not need to hear your quarrels; they are best resolved within your home, behind closed doors. For when you air your grievances before the world, you invite others to judge, and once the seed of doubt is planted, it can never be unplanted.”

The animals nodded, understanding the depth of the tortoise’s words.

“Second,” the tortoise said, “always support your own. In the spirit of patriotism, never let your differences tear apart what you have worked so hard to build. Unity is strength. And when you undermine your own, you pave the way for others to take your place. Remember forever, a divided house will fall, but a united house will stand tall.”

The animals went home that day carrying the tortoise’s words in their hearts. X, though defeated, understood that the division among his own had cost him the victory. His sub-corner’s bitterness had turned what could have been a triumph into a lesson in unity and support.