In Days of Old
Centuries ago, the feudal system existed across European society. Most people were serfs, a servile class bound to the land, under the authority of the lord of the manor, generally a nobleman. The serfs were dependent on the goodwill of their noblemen. Unfortunately, some noblemen were harsh, making life miserable for the serfs.
One particularly cruel nobleman was Sir Crumbly, who took great pleasure in making his subjects suffer. Crumbly was especially brutal toward poachers of wild animals on his land. He routinely executed anyone who, no matter how hungry, killed an animal for food. Whether the game was a small squirrel or a huge wild boar, the poacher was executed, sometimes in a vicious manner. One such instance happened during a summer drought, which had resulted in a poor harvest that led to famine.
John, a serf, had lost all his crops and had no food to feed his wife and two children. His infant son died from malnutrition, and John, his wife, and their daughter were skin and bones. An opportunity to put meat on their table came when John saw a goose and killed it. However, a castle-guard witnessed the incident, and John and his family were brought before Sir Crumbly.
Showing no mercy, Crumbly ordered John executed by the axman in front of all Crumbly's subjects, including John's wife and daughter.
With regard to the goose, Crumbly said, "Cook it. I'll have it for supper. The woman and her daughter can watch me enjoy it after the beheading."
The entire crowd, numbering in the hundreds, grumbled.
Crumbly said, "I'll have quiet, or I'll have more heads."
The mob inside the castle courtyard became silent. Then, with John's head on the chopping block and his wife and little girl standing in front of him, the axman was about to decapitate John when his daughter screamed.
Crumbly shouted, "Silence, girl, or I'll have your mother's head!"
Still shocked at the horrendous sight of her father on the chopping block, the girl screamed repeatedly.
Crumbly ordered, "Cut the girl's tongue out so that she won't scream when her father's head rolls in the dirt."
"No," came a man's voice from the crowd.
Others shouted the same negative command as a rock flew in Crumbly's direction, followed by dozens more. A castle-guard raised his shield to protect his master. As the stones pelted the metal, Crumbly retreated to the inner sanctum of his castle, and the outraged subjects stormed it.
Safely locked behind massive oaken doors in the dining room, Crumbly realized his only remaining loyal guard was with him. Just then, a clap of thunder sounded at the doors; it was a battering ram striking at the nobleman's oak defense, seeking to breach it.
From his rear, Crumbly heard a woman say, "Sire, I have good news from the kitchen."
Crumbly stated to his guard, "Thanks to heaven. It must be my kitchen subjects taking up arms to defend me against the rabble. Woman, what is the good news?"
"Sire, your goose is cooked."