Scrivenings of the King-Beyond-The-Wall

Door #20

“This is bullshit,” Horse replied as he gathered his things.

“Whoa, whoa! Where are you going?” asked Chicken.

“Somewhere that isn’t going to make me do all the work!”

“What do you mean?” asked Chicken.

“Look around! You get to sit in your coop all day. Cow and Goat get to eat in the fields all day, everyday. Pig spends all day in his sty; he literally gets to wallow. But me? Pull the plough, Horse. Pull the cart to the market, Horse. Drag a full cart back from the market, Horse. I’m literally the only one working around here!”

“That’s not true,” said Chicken. “We all contribute in our own ways.”

“Some of us more than others,” Horse muttered, glaring at Duck who was, at this very moment, sunning himself on a rock near the pond.

“You can’t leave,” Chicken said. “What would Farmer do without you?”

“Yeah, that’s kind of the point,” Horse continued. “What would Farmer do without me? And yet he treats me the same as everyone else, even though I do all the work for him! I can’t even take a vacation because there’s some crisis every damned day! I’m out of here.”

It was at this point that Chicken started to get a little nervous. Horse had always complained before, but he seemed determined this time. And, like any deadweight employee of an organization, Chicken was acutely aware of the fact that a cornerstone employee like Horse leaving could shine a light on just how little the rest of them actually did around the farm.

They had to convince him to stay.

“Look,” Chicken said. “What if we all chipped in and got you something nice? I’m sure Rabbit would spare some of her carrots, which we know are your favorite. I’m sure Cow could take a shift or two on the plough, every so often. What if we all, you know, helped out a little? What would you think of that?”

Horse scoffed, which came out like a whinny.

“I think it’s a good start, but then you’re going to have to figure out who’s going to do the rest of the chores. Hasta la vista, chica.”

Oh shit. It wasn’t often that Horse’s Andalusian ancestry kicked in, but when it did, that temper wasn’t likely to go away anytime soon. Chicken watched in shock as Horse actually followed through on his promises to quit, and walked off the farm.

In her heart, she was envious of Horse and proud, in a way, that he finally managed to stick up for himself. Of course, that wasn’t going to solve the problem of finding a new patsy to do all the work so the rest of them could enjoy lives of quiet comfort on the farm.

“Hey Bull!” Chicken called out. “Did you hear what that Horse guy was saying about you? Something about not being strong enough to do his job? That’s totally fucked up of him to say, isn’t it?”


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(502 words)


Prompt: 1. Animals. Which animals are on your farm? Why did some leave? Who left? Where are they going?Write from the animals' POV. 1000 words or less.