uppets and Poachers

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

The Baron was deeply concerned about the future of his country, as had been all of his ancestors who were the heads of Lilliland. He liked everyone who visited Lilliland to be entertained with festivals, fairs, shows, concerts and arts and crafts presentations. The events were scheduled to be of interest to everyone on a year-round basis.

Lilliland had strict laws against anyone hunting or shooting any wild deer or birds or any other living creature. The law clearly did not permit anyone to shoot any other person or animal in sport or otherwise. Fishing on Castle Lake was the exception, but there were fish-catching limitations imposed. The fish-caught limitation allowed for the fish supply and breeding to continue and be bountiful.

The Baron wanted the children to understand and support the ban on killing animals in Lilliland. "The killing of animals for sport is no sport at all and is just not right," the Baron would say to everyone.

Early cavemen had to capture animals for food, clothing and shelter. Today in the 1900s, man has farms to provide enough to feed and clothe all the people. Shooting any animal for any reason was not a sport at all. "All animals deserve to live free," said the Baron.

To remind the people of Lilliland about the importance of conservation of all nature, the Baron requested that the puppeteers have this message as part of their entertainment presentations. The message was to be kind to nature, to preserve the beauty of nature for our children, our children's children, and their children to enjoy to the fullest.

Poachers, the people who came to Lilliland to see the Alpine Mountains and hunt animals, were quickly brought to justice. Their guns were taken and melted into hammers and hoes for gardening. Hunter were fined and asked never to visit Lilliland again until they were willing to follow the wishes of the citizens about being respectful to nature.

The Baron, in his wisdom about banning guns, realized that in the heat of an argument and a few drinks, one person might shoot another person. The injured person would have to be rushed to the Lilliland Hospital for emergency treatment and the person firing the gun would have to go to jail. The tavern would be closed, according to the law, and everyone would be very sad and sorry. With no guns, people arguing would have the chance to go home and reflect on whether the argument really was of any importance in the long run. The Baron's no gun law made a lot of sense for Lilliland.

The love of nature and the beauty of the Alpine Mountains provide the bond and happiness that the citizens of Lilliland share together.