What is the main conflict in Menagerie, a Child's Fable by Charles Johnson?

"Menagerie, a Child's Fable," by Charles Johnson, was first published in a magazine in 1984, and reprinted in the short story collection The Sorcerer's Apprentice in 1986. Although it is subtitled "A Child's Fable," "Menagerie, a Child's Fable" is aimed at the adult reader and addresses serious social and political issues.