hicken Heads

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

At his weekly meeting at Lilliland Castle, the Baron would discuss the affairs of state with his chief advisor, Professor Hamblin. The Professor was a former teacher at Cambridge University in England. He was a stern and serious man. Sometimes the Baron wished the Professor would ease up a little.

Therefore, during the meetings of budget and international matters the Baron liked the agenda to include some human interest matters. These matters had to come from the citizens of Lilliland and be of any everyday issue.

The issue presented at this meeting was about the practice of some butcher shops displaying their poultry. In France it was common for the butcher shops to leave the heads on the chickens when they were displayed in the windows. But some parents objected to having their children seeing a chicken ready for cooking with its head still on.

The Professor was asked what suggestions he might make to resolve this chicken problem. He thought for a while then said that this problem was unsolvable. If it was the custom of butcher shops in France, and even in Italy, to display the poultry in this manner, then nothing could be done about. “We should mind our own business.”

Lady Angela of Alpine Castle was in attendance at this meeting and decided to say something. She said that many parents had a problem getting their children to eat their food. Children seemed to always want food that was not healthy and eat food that was not good for them. She felt that the chickens should be on display without their heads for the sake of the children.

The Baron said that he wanted out of this one and so did the Professor. It would be up to Lady Angela to organize a small group of parents to meet with the butchers’ association to discuss the situation. The women got their way and the butcher’s association said they would no longer display chickens with their heads still on.

The Baron reflected that since the women of Lilliland did most of the purchasing at butcher shops, the butchers did what they thought best for business and to make everyone happy.

The Baron and the Professor admitted that some problems were just too complicated for some men to resolve. This chicken problem must have been one of those problems.