The Un-Socialist Chickens

LARGE PRINT EDITION Overview: When Hattie and Eunice and their hen sisters learn that the state Revenue Collector is confiscating more and more of their tasty eggs, they strut into action. Their beloved farmer, Peter, no longer has enough eggs to share with the needy widow and orphans he's befriended. But these are no ordinary poultry. They have an ingenious plan to save Peter and his widow and orphan friends. But can mere chickens out-smart a tax man? The Un-Socialist Chickens shows how democratic socialism erodes initiative, productivity, and social cohesion, thus impoverishing people and nations. Plot Summary: The chickens on Peter's prosperous farm love life, thanks to Peter's gentle ways and rich feed. A compassionate and generous man, he shares his farm's produce with an elderly widow and the village orphanage. Peter fully accepts the government's new plan to take half his produce to provide for the country's needy citizens, and he is unfailingly kind to the government revenue collector. The rest of the villagers, as well as Peter's chickens, aren't as understanding, especially when they discover the government is wasteful with the taxes they pay. Many of the villagers begin to avoid paying taxes by hiding their produce or simply working less, since working harder isn't rewarded. As a result, tax revenues begin to shrink. The government's solution is to raise taxes, but that only reduces revenues further. As revenues dry up, there are no resources left over to give to the poor, who have come to depend on the government. Moreover, farmers like Peter no longer have anything extra to share, and Peter's village friends -- the widow and orphans -- are now truly in want. So Peter's chickens hatch a plan to help both their beloved farmer and his friends. With ingenuity and craftiness, they circumvent the revenue collector and provide enough eggs to meet the needs of Peter's friends through the coming harsh winter. In the process, the revenue collector gets a painful comeuppance that will make him sick at the mere sight of eggs for a long time. Young adults, teens, and pre-teens will have a birds-eye view of socialism's fundamental flaws, as they cheer for the Un-Socialist Chicken's plucky campaign against the greedy revenue collector.