The librarian lifts their gaze with a mixture of curiosity and surprise as the bird hops onto the counter. It tilts its head and, with an air of demand, clucks:
"Book!"
The librarian is taken aback at this odd display. The chicken impatiently taps one foot on the counter.
"Book, book!"
'All right', thinks the librarian, picking up a copy of Shakespeare's Hamlet and waggling it in front of the fowl. The chicken inspects the title, nods its thanks, tucks the book under its wing, hops off the counter and promptly waddles out of the building.
The custodian snorts their incredulity and returns to their work.
Half an hour later, the automatic doors of the library glide open and again in walks the chicken. It tilts its head and, with an air of impertinence, clucks:
"Book! Book book!"
The custodian blinks, shrugs, and pulls out a copy of Miller's All My Sons. They slide it over to the bird, who inspects the title, nods its thanks, tucks the book under its wing, hops off the counter and promptly struts out of the building.
Half an hour later, the automatic doors of the library drift apart and, for a third time, in walks the chicken. It tilts its head and, with an air of thinly veiled frustration, clucks:
"Book! BOOK!"
This had now become less novel to the librarian. They heave Homer's Odyssey onto the desk and meet the eye of the feathery fiend who, like clockwork, inspects the title, nods its thanks, tucks the book under its wing, hops off the counter and promptly stomps - as best a small farm animal can - out of the building.
'Fuck it,' thinks the librarian, 'I'm going to find out what this nonsense is all about.' They lift themselves from their office chair and tiptoe - as best as a librarian can, which is rather well, in fact - after the avian nuisance.
The sneaky chase takes them out of the library; past the butchers; the ironmongers; the fishmongers; the swimming pool and eventually leads to the park.
The librarian creeps up behind a bush to observe as the chicken trots up to the pond and to the very edge of the water. It lifts its wing to drop the literature onto the grass and firmly announces:
"Book! Book, book!"
The water shifts. Out from under a stone a frog hops out, looks at the title of the book, blinks its eyes one at a time, regards the chicken with a weary gaze, and responds:
"Reddit. Reddit."
