Shooting the Bull
(1999)
...To pass the time, cows tell snake jokes
Number 03044, the Bovine Formerly Known as Princess, was telling another of her favorite snake riddles. She was now the oldest member of the combine after the recent absence of Daisy (#01666, expired). There were, of course, no snakes anymore ‹ one of the few advantages over conditions years ago when there were bountiful farmlands and verdant rolling pastures where free cattle roamed to graze. At the site The Company now stands; all of that is flattened, dusty hard and gray, every green blade extinguished. But the livestock are now over 100 times in number, housed in a compound that efficiently produces enormous quantities of veal and dairy products, and safe from snakes.
