My Short Short for the Day

He was the oldest chicken any of the chicks had ever seen.  His feathers were a bit ruffled, never quite settling back into place.  His skin sagged low under his chin.  His walk was stiff as he strutted around the yard.  His cluck was garbled and weak.  In spite of all of this, the hens would graciously step aside making a path for him to walk as he made his rounds through the yard.

“What should we do today, Chuck?”  Pete asked.

“Yeah, Chuck, what're we doing today?”  Sal chimed in.

“Well, I think we need to make up a batch of special worm bait.”  Chuck began.  “Yes, that's what we should do.”

“Worm bait?  What's that?”  Eddie asked.

“Well, you see.  It's this very special, very secret recipe that I overheard Mrs. Gobble talking about.”  Chuck lowered his voice.  “It's supposed to be able to bring every worm within a 100 feet out of their holes.”

“Oh!  That would be like fifty tons of worms for each of us.”  Pete said wiping a bit of drool from his beak.

“Oh, boy! Oh, boy!  Let's do it!”  Eddie clucked rubbing his wings together.

“What do we need to do?”  Sal asked.

“Well, we need water, mud from under the coop, 3 buttercup flowers, 2 long green stalks of grass and...”  Chuck paused.

“What?  What?”  The chicks asked.

“We need...one of...the feathers...”

“Yeah?  Yeah?”  The chicks leaned in. 

“From...Grandpa Chicken.”  Chuck said.

The chicks' eyes widened as they stared at Chuck.  Their beaks dropped open and their wings drooped down.  Not a peep was made.

“So...who's going to get the feather?”  Chuck asked.

The chicks looked at each other and took several steps back shaking their heads vigorously.

“Seriously?  No one?”  Chuck asked raising his wings.

The chicks all shook their heads in unison, still wide eyed.

“Fine.  I'll do it.  Just remember to thank me when we are all pigging out on juicy worms.”  Chuck said strutting off to the front yard. 

The chicks didn't dare watch but held their breath and waited.  After several moments had passed, there was a sudden squawk followed by a loud racket.  The chicks peered around the corner of the coop and saw a collection of hens chasing after Grandpa Chicken who was chasing after Chuck.  And as Chuck got closer they all saw what he had in his beak...the feather from Grandpa's backside.  Chuck grinned as he sped past them to the far side of the chicken coop.