Something to Crow About

The farmer and his wife went to town once a month for provisions.

They returned from their monthly excursion and began carrying the groceries into the house from the driveway. As they were taking in the last few bags, it began to rain. In their hurry to get all their groceries indoors and stowed, neither one of them noticed the large loaf of bologna that fell in the gravel next to the well.

There were several crows on the electrical line above, though, and they did notice.

One by one they flew down to the bologna.
One of them got brave and tasted it. Finding it to his liking, he started eating it as fast as he could, inspiring the other crows to join him.

All of them ate as much as they could.
Then, they flew up to the handle of the pump and sat for a few minutes under the little roof until the rain stopped.

The first crow took flight, heading toward the pasture. He got about 20 feet and suddenly fell out the air, dead.

The other crows looked at each other and back at the dead crow. Gathering his courage, another crow flew from the well toward his dead comrade. He made it about 15 feet before he died and fell to the ground.

Two more birds headed toward the pasture and didn't even make it 10 feet before they died as well.

Finally one bird was left at the pump.
He sat for a moment, then he flew away.
Didn't make it far, though. He died and crashed to earth next to the two who'd just flown.

The small remnant of the bologna was still lying in the yard the next morning when the farmer came out and saw the dead crows.

He pondered for a moment, then his wife came outside and joined him.
"What happened?" she asked.

"Well, these here birds ate the bologna," he told her, gesturing. "And tried to fly from the pump here to the pasture. Then they died."

She looked confused.

He continued, "This is why you should never fly off the handle when you're full of bologna."