Thursday, June 19, 2008

Jackals and Lizards and Raptors! Oh my!

Welcome to this week's Thursday News of the Absurd Will Someone Please Write This Book Inspirational Moment (TNoftheAWSPWTBIM).

From CBS News and the AP:

"Jackals, monitor lizards and raptors descended on a runway at New Delhi's main airport after heavy rains Monday, delaying flights, an airport official said."

According to the official story, the animals were trying to dry off after a monsoon.

No they weren't. They were trying to make a flight.

But where were they trying to go? And why?

Perhaps they were tired by the thought of the upcoming monsoon season and were headed to dryer* pastures?

I am picturing a departure from the usual personalities for these animals. I want terrified jackals, sarcastic lizards*, and sequin-wearing raptors. They argue over where to go on vacation; the raptors hear Paris is divine while the jackals would like to be closer to home. I am thinking of the adventurous yet tongue in cheek voice in David Wisniewski's The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups.

Will someone please write this book?

*edited to add: Oops. I meant "drier." The spelling queen stumbles. But I didn't have the heart to edit it after Diane's comments (see below).
** Sarcastic lizard idea in no way a reflection of what I know of our own frequent visitor, Lizard. Okay, maybe a little.

7 comments:

J. Thorp said...

sequined raptors? bizarre!

well, owls maybe -- i could see that ...

Diane T said...

Jacqui wrote: Perhaps they were tired by the thought of the upcoming monsoon season and were headed to dryer pastures?

While jackals and raptors going on vacation sound fun, I'm more interested in exploring this idea you have about "dryer pastures." Is this where appliances go to graze after they retire from a career of drying our clothes? Do old refrigerators head to the woods, and old vacuums to the beach? Now there's a picture book that needs to be written. :-D


ps. And yes, I know I'm annoying.

lizard said...

I love this story. (And yes, upon first glance of the word "Lizard" in the title, I first thought you were talking trash about me.)

A couple of thoughts:
1) Love use of the word "descended" -- had the visual of them swarming in, or maybe like some kind of air battalion, beaches at Normandy, or other such military maneuvering.

2) $100 says that some US air carrier, in between nickel and diming people for "luxuries" like a) purchasing a ticket and b) bringing luggage on the plane, will blame some hideous delay tonight on the situation in the New Delhi Airport.

xo
Sarcastic Lizard

Jacqui said...

Diane, that is not annoying; that is funny. But, um, I did mean "dryer" pastures. The animals were wet from all the monsoons and they were looking for hair and scale dryers.

I am picturing grazing refrigerators.

Jacqui said...

Lizard, I felt the same way about "descended;" wondered how the jackals and the lizards had gotten up in the first place.

And yes, I am sure soon Northwest will have an extra charge on my tickets for "runway jackal removal."

Cate Gardner said...

Definitely a story there.

Mary Witzl said...

Now that you've mentioned it, I can just see raptors in heavy drag; in sequin-encrusted denim and richly embroidered jackets, big, heavy turquoise rings dripping off their taloned leathery fingers. They'd have jaded looks in their eye and be all world weary and sarcastic, right?

Wish I wrote picture books...