The Travel Diva

Why the chicken crossed the road

Early this morning Rosie (one of my cat’s) and I took a stroll down to bakers for fresh croissants’ - my daughter loves them. On route I passed one of my elderly neighbours who stood on his sidewalk staring fixedly at something in the distance. I enquired if anything was amiss. He told that one of his laying hens had gone walk-about and asked that should I happen upon her would I mind bringing her back.

When I stepped out of the bakery, with Rosie dutifully waiting by the door, I spotted the little brown hen across the road, crouched beneath a hedge. She was dozing in a sun-beam. When I crouched down beside her she opened one beady eye and considered me for a moment, then puffed her feathers and settled back down again. Evidently I held no threat to her. I swiftly scooped her up under my arm and continued on my way.

I seldom consider other’s perception of me and it’s little wonder that a busload of blue rinsed tourists slowed down. Evidently I was an attraction. I could just imagine how the tour guide described me. “… and this is an example of the local colour; Bertem’s infamous Cat Lady… today with a chicken under her arm.” I showed my teeth at the numerous flash lights and stalked off down the road with Rosie at my heels.

My elderly neighbour nearly cried when I handed him his little hen (who had dozed off under my arm). He made an idyll threat about putting her on the Sunday lunch menu next time she ran off like that. She instantly perked up and coo’ed at him, then brightly announced her return to the other hens who all dashed across welcome her home… and possibly to hear of her tales of adventure.

posted by Cindy-Lou Dale @ Friday, August 03, 2007