Popular fable.
January 12, 2016
Even though the temp has been freezing, some of the snow and ice on the pavement is heated by the sun. Makes for a certain humid feeling, walking on the sidewalk, sporadic wetness here, ice and snow there. I can smell the wet leaves on the lawns and in the gutters. Dog shit here, yellow snow there. Yellow Gazette bag on driveway.
Three blocks to the YMCA. Often a rabbit crouches out in plain view on a lawn, but absolutely still. I’ll bet he thinks I can’t see him, poor little bastard. I think.
This morning P. and I were talking about supper. Wait. No, she was talking about the terrific troubles of 16-year-old mothers she sees at Young Families Early Head Start. Then, noticing something through the window, she cursed at a squirrel she saw on our carport roof. She made clawing motions with her hands, like a squirrel climbing. I don’t remember her exact words, but she said she believes the little critters can get into our house, although I built the carport to specifically keep out everything as small as yellow jackets. She does not believe it is squirrel proof, so she promised to crawl up on the roof when the weather permits. Just to check and take action as needed.
Her rant reminded me of our angry neighbor across the street, the one who hates mourning doves. I wondered if such hatred of squirrels and doves could be the basis of one of my popular fables?
I turned the topic over in my imagination, with my eyes closed. Nothing came to mind.
Rabbits, squirrels, mourning doves. Each hated by a person. I don’t hate rabbits, but I’m groping for a fable.
Fair to say that each of us has a scornful word. No. Two of us have actual malevolence for her own animal. What if we could each eliminate the one we believe to be a pestilence?
Per our wishes, all the rabbits, squirrels, and mourning doves magically — gone.
So: Mocking the foolish rabbit, I’d feel terrible if we no longer had the squirrels and doves.
At last achieving victory over squirrels, P. might feel saddened without the doves and rabbits. Well, she said the rabbits carry filthy disease. I’m just trying to create a symmetrical situation here. Also, I’ve never heard her say anything about the doves, one way or the other.
Finally, how would our angry flute playing neighbor having experienced final victory over doves, feel without the rabbits and squirrels to frolic, fight, and mate?
Terrible, that’s what!
Plus, I would no longer have little cute animals as inspiration for popular fables.
insearchofbud 