Wonderland Challenge 2020

Rebellion

         PROMPT: In relation to the above challenge, a most ridiculous and unjust verdict has been given to you or your character. What rebellious action is carried out in retaliation?

         

         

                   

         The young farmer stood in the docket wringing his cap in his hands and shifting his weight from side to side. He glanced back at his fellow farmers and neighbours crowding the gallery. To a man, they all smiled at him in encouragement. One of their own had been called to court and they would stand with him.

         The court clerk cleared his throat with a loud harrumph and rustled a sheaf of papers. One of the guards whistled sharply and this brought the rumble of conversation to a stop. All eyes in the courtroom appraised the clerk.

         "The town of Reasonable charges that you, Monsieur Dupuis, did knowingly name your child Danielle and thus contravened a municipal law. What say you?"

         "Oui, I mean, yes sir, my child has the name Daniel. It is a family nom, er, name. I believe it's a fine, strong name."

         The proud papa's friends stomped their feet in approval. The sitting judge retaliated with one single decisive thwack of his gavel.

         "Order in the court. I will not stand for this foolishness. So, Mister Dupuis, you admit that your child bears the name Danielle. This is a forbidden name. The law is clear. You must reassign a different name to your offspring, or the baby will be banished. Do you understand?"

         "Non, I do not comprehend. Daniel is also my name, a name I have proudly carried all my life. Are you asking me to renounce it?"

         The judge glared at the defiant man before him. Had he heard correctly? Now, there was not one, but two citizens with the dreaded name?

         "Mister Dupuis, I will give you until tomorrow to alter your name and that of your baby. Failing to do so will forfeit your citizenship and you will immediately be evicted from this community."

         The next day, the judge and a few officers attended the farm of Monsieur Dupuis fully expecting complete compliance. What they discovered went beyond astonishment. To their open-mouthed amazement, pigs were flying. In defiance, the farmers had gathered all of their pigs and suspended them in the air via brightly coloured balloons. In the warm spring breeze, pigs floated.

         Monsieur Dupuis greeted the unblinking judge cradling a baby boy in his arms.

         "As you must have surmised, I am French. This is my son, Daniel and no, he is most definitely not a girl. To your untrained ear, Danielle and Daniel must sound the same. The first is a French name for a girl, une fille, and the second is a name for a boy, un fils. By the way, please be sure to tell our Madam Mayor that pigs do fly in Reasonable."

         (476 words)