We call him the Red Barron. He is one special package as he may be the answer to the age-old question, "Why does the chicken cross the road?"

The office manager at Barron Elementary School called to say there was a rooster at the front door of the school and it wanted in. Tammy, office manager extraordinare, and I traveled to the school in search of said pugnacious poultry. The Red Barron (you get the connection now) was dancing back and forth in front of the glass doors. It appeared he wanted inside but I suspect it may have been the male macho thing and he was simply challenging his reflection in the glass. The chase was short. The Barron dashed by the both of us and disappeared under the cars in the parking lot.

Later that same day Plano Animal Services brought Red Barron to us. It seems he lives down the street from the school. Notice I said "down" and not "across." The owner was happy to give him up because he was noisy and an escape artist. We teachers prefer to think that if the Red Barron did cross that road at some point he was seeking a good education. I searched through three websites devoted to that age-old question and found nothing that satisfies my curiosity.

So, why does the chicken cross the road? Maybe it is to show the armadillo that it can be done. I have been on this earth for fifty-eight years. The first ten or so of those years I spent on or around an old fashioned farm. I have traveled the back roads of the United States and even some in Europe. I have seen my share of chickens mind you, but not once in my life have I ever seen a chicken cross the road. For me it is a moot question. I’ll need to see footage.