The Covington Chicken

One of the best things about moving into a small town is the local folklore that you pick up on. Seems the smaller the town, the wilder the story.

This is the story of the Covington Chicken.

Now Covington was located in the parish of St. Tammany, where there were many, many laws and ordinances that governed the land. For the people of St. Tammany thought themselves maybe a little bit better than the people of Washington, or Tangipahoa, or St. John the Baptist. Or even Orleans. And because the people of St. Tammany thought themselves a little bit better, they passed extra laws and ordinances to prove it.

One of the ordinances the people of St. Tammany passed was a No Animals ordinance, for the St. Tammany people did not like to have dogs or other beasts at their public events. For they thought themselves quite a bit better than the animals.

And the people were happy.

Although the dogs...not so much.

And then one bright, sunny morning at the Covington Farmer's Market, a Man with a Dog became very upset that he could not bring his dog to the market.

"I am very upset that I can not bring my beloved dog to the market!" said The Man with a Dog. And when he spied the farm-fresh eggs booth, he noticed that there was a chicken at the booth.

And he exclaimed, "Why, if I can not have my dog at the market, then she can not have her chicken at the market! For does the ordinance not say 'No Animals'?"

And the people who made the laws and ordinances said, "Indeed, she may not have her chicken at the market, for the law does say 'No Animals.'"

And then The Lady with the Chicken was very sad.

And The Man with a Dog was very sad. But also very pleased with himself. For misery does love company.

But The Lady with the Chicken was not content to remain sad and chicken-less at the market.

So she hired a lawyer.

And she sued the city of Covington to allow her chicken at the market.

And it was a Chicken with a Lawyer.

And the chicken's lawyer fought to add a "Chicken Clause" to the "No Animals" ordinance.

And he was successful. (For he was a very good lawyer.)

And now you might think that the Covington law in the parish of St. Tammany says, "No Animals Except Chickens." But you would be wrong.

It says, "No Animals Except This Chicken."

THE END