Eat the Rich!

Eat the Rich! That’s what I’ve been told Comedite Dives means in English, but it looks like the chipmunk in the central panel is just eating a red kuri squash. This delicacy still came with a lot of work and organization.

In the border you can see this little guy is the leader of a peasant revolt. He carries the torch, one carries a rake, and three carry a battering ram as they approach the castle moat. The chipmunk king stares from the window looking peeved, but he’s secretly trembling in his boots. He has all the food, as you can see represented in the squash vines that grow out from the castle roof, but they soon wither and die in spirit because they are not shared.

The chipmunks have their own guardian angel who stands upon the earth and redistributes the wealth. You can see in his hands how he changes the withered vines to green ones and sends them back down to the peasants below.

I’m sure there is more to this story, and if you have some ideas what that is I would love to hear from you! Feel free to comment on this blog with more details. What was the last straw for the chipmunk peasants? How evil was their king? What else does the chipmunk guardian angel do for them? How did this guy rise up to be their leader?

And here is a recipe for roasted red kuri squash with tart cherries. I’ve never tasted it, but now I feel inspired. And remember that it’s better to help the poor to eat than to force them to eat the rich.