The Shark and the Sardines is a scathing allegorical short story by Juan Jos? Ar?valo Bermejo (1904-1990), who was the first of the reformist presidents of Guatemala (1944-1951). As a country that had seen a series of dictatorships following its independence from Spain, Ar?valo's 1944 election is considered by historians to be the first fair and democratic election in Guatemala's republican history. Ar?valo's administration was marked by unprecedented relatively free political life during his six-year term. An educator and philosopher, he understood the need for advancement in individuals, communities, and nations by practical means.