Allegory : Hiding in plain sight
Here is a modern day ‘management parable’!
A young chick pecked on cow droppings and grew strong. Every time he ate, he flew a little higher, until one day; he was able to reach the highest point on the farm, the top branch of the tallest tree.
The rooster sat on the highest branch of the tree and gloated at its feat. It felt happy and proud to have flown so far. Unfortunately, its high perch was visible for miles and a farmer hunting for food spotted it. He took out his airgun and fired at it. Wounded, it fell off the tree onto the hard ground.
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The bird lay there shivering in pain. A cow passing that way took pity on the shrivelling creature and dropped dung on it. When the farmer came searching for his kill, he couldn’t find the cockerel as it was now wrapped in a mound of bovine crap. He left empty handed.
Soon, thanks to the heat of the poop, the chick felt warm and alive. Forgetting its past worries, it whistled a happy tune. A cat pasting along heard the music and decided to investigate.
The cat dug the bird out of its warm haven and feasted on it with relish.
A below average story you say? Let us make it interesting and useful:
A young chick pecked on cow droppings and grew strong. Every time he ate, he flew a little higher, until one day; he was able to reach the highest point on the farm, the top branch of the tallest tree.Management Lesson 1: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be very high up!
The rooster sat on the highest branch of the tree and gloated at its feat. It felt happy and proud to have flown so far. Unfortunately, its high perch was visible for miles and a farmer hunting for food spotted it. He took out his airgun and fired at it. Wounded, it fell off the tree onto the hard ground. Management Lesson 2: Bullshit can get you to the top but it won’t help you stay there.
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The bird lay there shivering in pain. A cow passing that way took pity on the shriveling creature and dropped dung on it. When the farmer came searching for his kill, he couldn’t find the cockerel as it was now wrapped in a mound of bovine crap. He left empty handed. Management Lesson 3: Not everyone who craps on you is your enemy.
Soon, thanks to the heat of the poop, the chick felt warm and alive. Forgetting its past worries, it whistled a happy tune. A cat pasting along heard the music and decided to investigate. Management Lesson 4: When in deep shit, keep your mouth shut.
The cat dug the bird out of its warm haven and feasted on it with relish. Management Lesson 5: Not everyone who pulls you out of shit is your friend.
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As you can see, the story had a hidden meaning; a lesson it wanted to convey in an albeit tacky manner. Such stories are Allegories
Definition: Allegory (noun)
A story, poem or picture that conveys a hidden meaning, usually a social, moral or political meaning, is often termed as an allegory.
Allegories have been around for centuries. Our epics, ancient scriptures teaching the importance of love, honesty, social discipline, etc are all allegories.
Synonyms: Popular synonyms include:
Apologue (an animal story with a moral)
Fable (an ancient story with a moral)
Myth (a historical tale about society, which can convey a moral sometimes)
Parable (a simple story with a meaning, usually related to Christianity)
Related Words: Certain other common usages in English, which are similar to allegories include:
Metaphor (A figure of speech used often to describe something. The objects used are unrelated to the issue being discussed but convey the messenger accurately when considered in the right context. ) E.g: All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. – William Shakespeare
Analogy (Comparing one thing to another to convey the meaning) E.g “Writing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.” – Don Marquis.
Simile (Comparing something to a similar object, thereby describing it) E.g. She’s as cute as a button.
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Make your writing more effective with allegories, metaphors, analogies and similes.
