A
large, fairly
stupid bird,
native to the
Americas, but domesticated throughout most of the
world. It makes
good eatin' and is commonly devoured in
large numbers during the
American celebration of
Thanksgiving. They are said to be so
dumb that they must be taught how to
eat as
chicks and sometimes
drown because they
stare at the
sky with their mouths open when it
rains.
Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to his
daughter, said he wanted to make it the
national symbol of the
United States. He said it was a "more
respectable bird" than the
bald eagle and was "a true original
native of
North America." He added, "He is besides, though a little
vain and
silly, a Bird of
Courage, and would not hesitate to
attack a
Grenadier of the
British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a
red Coat on." I like Franklin a lot, but I think he mighta been playing a bit too much in his pal
George Washington's
hemp crop...