Remember Your Animal


My father was known and respected by a diverse community of people -- he had a wall in his den covered with plaques and honoraria. From early on, the man knew how to get results. At the age of 23, he was responsible for getting an entire hospital train, with all its equipment and staff, safely across the war zone in Northern Africa. After his "retirement", he even had a political career in which he tried to accomplish many positive things for public schools, as well as a few universities -- a natural outgrowth of his life-long career as an educator.

Yet with all his achievements and his amazing ability to exert a positive influence over thousands of lives, it stunned me to suddenly have a realization as to the single most important thing he taught me. He loved to play his old Martin guitar and sing everything from Stephen Foster tearjerkers to the zen-like hilarity of "Midnight on the Ocean",

"It was midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight.
The sun was shining brightly, and it rained all day that night.
A north-south wind was blowing and the rain was snowing fast;
A barefoot boy with shoes on stood sitting in the grass..."

But the song that most resonated in my skeleton and psyche told of a daring night time raid, an act of Robin Hood-like courage and mayhem. Sitting under a teenage pecan tree this late October, the whole song came back to me -----

"The Fox went out on a chilly night,
Prayed for the moon for to give him light.
He had many a mile to go that night
Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o
He had many a mile to go that night
Before he reached the town-o.

Well he ran 'til he came to a great big pen,
The ducks and the geese were kept therein.
He said, 'A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-0, town-o, town-o,
A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o.

He grabbed the grey goose by the neck,
Flung a duck all across his back.
He didn't mind the 'Quack quack quack!'
And the legs all danglin' down-0, down-o, down-o
(repeat)

Well old Mother Flipperflopper jumped out of bed,
Out of the window she cocked her head.
She said, 'John, John! The grey goose is gone
And the Fox is on the town-o, tokwn-o, town-o........

John he ran to the top of the hill,
He blew on his horn both loud and shrill.
The Fox said, 'I better flee with my kill
'Cos he'll soon be on my trail-0,................. (& repeat)

Well he ran 'til he came to his cozy den,
There were the little ones, eight, nine, ten.
They said, 'Dad, Dad ya better go back again
'Cos it must be a mighty fine town-o....(etc.)

Then the Fox and his wife without any strife,
Cut up the goose with a fork and knife.
They never had such a supper in their life,
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o
They never had such a supper in their life,
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o."

So it really is true -- nothing we possess and pass on is more important than our songs and stories, and most of the claims of the so-called "real" world pale in comparison and simply don't do justice to our true spirit. And ultimately, nothing displaces that subversive humor, that sacred disrespect for all that is sanctimonious, that wink we share behind the backs of the oh-so-literal-minded powers that be.