magisternihil's 100-word story for July 31, 2025

magisternihil wrote the following micro-story on Hectalex on July 31, 2025. Each story on Hectalex is inspired by a daily visual prompt and must be exactly 100 words.

When “General” Wayland Dupree died there was a lot of talk about what would become of his “Magical Traveling Menagerie.” Activists, of course, suggested all of the animals should be freed from their lives of servitude and released into the wild. Experts chimed in that animals accustomed to eating peeled fruit and doing tricks for applause wouldn’t last ten seconds in the great outdoors. In the end they compromised, and the Dupree Animal Rescue Ranch was created. The animals all took to it well enough, though Elsie the Elephant still requires her fruit peeled and random applause to be happy.

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