I thought this was sooo cute and had to share it in honor of Thanksgiving! =D
THE TURKEY THAT WENT TO SCHOOL
by Susan Dart
In my sister Linda's neighborhood, in a suburb of Denver, people
have all sorts of pets. Besides dogs and cats, you often see horses,
chickens, and even goats. When I visit her I always love to hear her
latest stories about her friends and all their animals.
But I think my favorite will always be the one she told as we
gathered at her house for Thanksgiving one year.
Linda's neighbor Dave owned three turkeys named Tom, Dick, and Harry.
They were pets and he raised them in his barnyard, along with
several chickens. I had seen them often, strutting around his yard and
running up to the fence to see if we were bringing them any treats.
One cold day in late November, Dave returned from a visit to his
daughter's house to find one turkey missing. He searched his yard and
the barn, but there was no sign of Tom anywhere. He began to walk up and
down the street, looking everywhere he could think for his missing turkey.
The local school was just getting out and Dave asked some of the
students if they had seen a turkey. "Oh yes sir, there was a turkey
in our school today," one young man replied. "The police came and took
it away!"
Lost and lonely, it appeared that Tom had followed the first
people he had seen -- right through an open door and into the busy
school hallway.
Dismayed, Dave hurried to the office to speak to the principal. She
told him all about Tom's visit to the school. It seemed that the
arrival of a real turkey in the middle of the school day had caused
quite a commotion. She explained that it was against school rules to
gobble loudly during class or to flap your wings in the hall, so she'd
had no choice but to call animal control.
Tom Turkey had been taken to the pound!
Dave quickly called Animal Control and found out where Tom
was being held. Then he drove over to collect his feathered friend.
But when he reached the facility he ran into a new problem.
It seemed that Tom was the only turkey they had ever brought
in. There were no rules in the book about turkeys and they didn't have any
idea what fee to charge him to release the bird. They finally agreed that
if he made a donation of any kind to the animal shelter he could have his
turkey back. So he gladly wrote out a generous check and drove Tom home.
Tom lived a long and healthy turkey life.
He had no apparent interest in continuing his education, and was
content to stay in the barnyard from that time on. His children and
grandchildren have all lived at Dave's house and I still try to see them
whenever I visit my sister. We take them treats of corn and grapes and
they run to the fence eagerly.
These happy turkeys will never have to worry about becoming part
of anyone's Thanksgiving feast. Like old Tom, they are family pets.
And every year as we gather for Thanksgiving, we think about Tom
and remember the story of the turkey that went to school.
