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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Magpie Tales 39 -- graffitist defeatist

The light came on and pinned him to the wall! His wall! He had been practising his graffiti skills on this wall for weeks, wanting to join the gang of graffitists who hung out down at the railway station. They told him he couldn't join until he learned how to draw something other than dead spiders.

Why? he wondered. Drawing dead spiders had been a big hit with the chicks when he lived in the hen house.

But he tried, and tried, to learn the lettering style they used on the freight cars and overpasses. He scratched the wall with his beak day in and night out, when he could get a night out, which had been tough with so many wives.

He had to move out, and move into the garage where his wall was, so he could practise all the time. He scratched until his beak was raw and bleeding, until his wattle wobbled, his head throbbed, his cockscomb fell flat, and he had to erase a large section of errors so the sight of them wouldn't be too discouraging, too damaging to his ego. He used to be the Cock of the Walk until he decided to give up his regular job in order to follow his dream of becoming an artist.

Ah, he sighed, his ego was in good shape then. He was the greatest, his wives told him. His dead spider pictures were the greatest, his children told him. Now his ego was battered and bruised, his beak was cracked and his wattle was cracked and yellowed.

To make matters worse, he'd been caught! Out of his right eye he could see his shadow on the wall. Out of his left eye he could see the farmer coming into the garage, carrying a weapon. Now instead of Cock of the Walk, he'd be a dead duck!

"Hey, Rocky," said the farmer, "good to see you. We thought a fox got you. I guess someone locked you in the garage by mistake. Glad I found you. I'll take you back to the hen house after I change the tire on my wife's car." The farmer held up the tire iron he'd been carrying, then knelt down beside the car.

"Yep," he said, "I'll have you back there in two shakes of a lamb's tail. I guess you got up into the tree and down from there."

The farmer continued to chat happily, but Rocky didn't pay any attention to him. He'd been caught! Him, Rocco Botticelli, the artist with a future in graffiti! He'd been caught and they'd make him go back to his eighteen wives, and his old, boring, everyday job... fertilizing!

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For other stories based on this same picture, 
Every week, a different picture is posted by the charming and talented Willow,
and each person's view of the picture is surprisingly different!


25 comments:

Sylvia K said...

What a funny, creative and imaginative story for the day, Kay! I love it and just the laugh I needed! I can relate to Old Rocky! Enjoy your evening!

Sylvia

Unknown said...

Pity the poor suffering graffiti rooster :)
This was so much fun, Kay! I really enjoyed it and felt for the poor Cock.

Rinkly Rimes said...

Very imaginative! I'd been wondering who'd 'drawn' the spiders!

Reflections said...

Creative, artistic piece... and to think murals were difficult when it comes to the delicate spiders.

Hello Kelly said...

Aww! How creative!
He does look like he is giving something the critical eye, huh?

Anonymous said...

Dead spider artist! Hysterical!

Business IQ said...

Hysterical! This was fabulous. Great writing. And yes, I have used an excess of platitudes, but oh so well deserved.

Francisca said...

That is a delightfully creative story, Kay! Not everyday I get to meet a dead spider graffitist with a dream!

Rogue said...

This was so good Kay! It truly gave me a good chuckle!

Strummed Words said...

Glad he was saved from the pot!

Here's my Cock of the Walk

ninotaziz said...

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Kay, this was fabulous!

Tess Kincaid said...

What a fun read! Clever piece, Kay.

Friko said...

Ah, poor old cock. t'was ever thus.

A good giggle.

I'll follow you, will you do the same for me? please?

Tumblewords: said...

Lots of good wordplay and fun images in this very creative piece - love it!

christine said...

Very funny and clever.. such a fun piece.

Junneth said...

I was having fun reading the story! You are very imaginative dear Kay!

Marilyn & Jeff said...

Oh this is so very good, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.

Doctor FTSE said...

Wonderful! You made full use of everything in the pic.

Other Mary said...

Also, I really like the name of you blog!

Anonymous said...

Lovely post

Sue J said...

I really enjoyed this - Rocco Botticelli - Love it.

NanU said...

Hilarious!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

love your humor.
well done.

Catalyst said...

Oh, Kay, that's just wonderful!

Caty said...

Poor rocky, he was trying so hard!