As we were chatting at Klaudio’s a few days ago, Martin Harwood and I suddenly remembered Gary Larson’s cartoons. The next day he lent me one of Larson’s books he happened to have in his house in Motovun: The Chickens are Restless.[1] As it happens, I have never seen this particular collection of Far Side cartoons. The front cover attracted me at once, and I have been staring at it ever since I brought the book home. It shows a bunch of angry chickens marching at night. Their round eyes are glaring. Two of them are carrying torches. One of them is brandishing a pitchfork. A few of them are cackling loudly, and one of them is sticking out its tongue in defiance. The chickens are very restless, indeed. They will not stand for all the nonsense any longer. They will take things into their own hands. Well, wings. It has taken me a while to realize that Larson is nothing short of prescient. Actually, I bet the cartoon is not about chickens at all.

Footnote

1. London: Warner Books, 1993.