Wadel's longevity assisted her in being
the top chicken in the flock, above the roosters or anyone. She was
named Wadel after I had decided that when she walked, she looked like
she was waddling. Being four or so, I did not know exactly what
waddling was, but I decided to call her Wadel, so that the spelling
would be different anyhow.
She became quite dominant, as the top
chicken, and grew spurs when she reached five years old. That was the
oldest a chicken had ever gotten for us at that point, and she really
was quite impressive, in being a little more of a loner.
When the weasel attacked the coop late
at night, she was awake enough to fight back while the roosters hid
in the nesting egg boxes, and even to wound the weasel.
Unfortunately, it also wounded her, and she died. It came back later
that day and we shot it.
Wadel was buried in the woods, with a
red white and blue ribbon tied around a stick over her grave.
Does this feel weird to you--writing from the stretch, so to speak, instead of with a full windup? Giving dabs instead of completely rendered pictures and explanations? It can a very effective way to telegraph meaning and to enlist readers, just the way you need to enlist audience in speeches.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this works fine--it's a true vignette.