Bonnie’s Chicken

A Hardman Family Story

Bonnie Rollins Hardman grew up on a farm and had, of all things, a pet chicken. That chicken helped her learn responsibility, mortification and loss. 

Bonnie’s chicken liked attention. I have no idea how much attention most chickens need but Bonnie’s chicken liked to be noticed. If lonely or hungry, it would pop right up the back porch steps and pick at the kitchen door looking for her mistress.

At this time in her life, Bonnie had a number of much-resented jobs to do around the house. While Bonnie admitted that she didn’t have to sleep in the cinders, she felt that her stepmother assigned more chores to her than to her half-sisters so those duties were done without cheer. 

One Saturday while Bonnie had to sweep and clean, her chicken, watching her through the kitchen window, was particularly disgusted with being ignored. The chicken peck-peck-pecked at the kitchen door and Bonnie, annoyed, chased it off. The pecking came again and again so several times Bonnie stopped work to scoot the chicken.

Finally, totally annoyed with the chores and the chicken, she raised the broom as a weapon and ran to the door while screaming, “If you don’t stop that and get the heck off the porch, I’ll beat you with this broom!”

Eyes full of fire, she opened the back door to teach that chicken a lesson and stood face to face with the minister. Enveloped by embarrassment that was never forgotten, she ran off to hide in a closet, escaping the chicken, the minister and her stepmother.

Later that summer, when she was able to face people again, Bonnie had occasion to help make turtle soup. Someone, her cousin I think, had gone fishing and caught a very large snapping turtle. 

The turtle was perched on the chopping block for preparation after which its seemingly harmless head lay in the dirt. The chicken, knowing no fear of chopping blocks or turtles, came to investigate. It focused on a bit of pink at the turtle’s mouth and interpreting this as a snack, the chicken pecked at the dead turtle’s tongue.

In the same way that a chicken's body can retain enough life force to run after being beheaded, a turtle’s mouth can still snap. The chicken thought it would gain a treat but instead it lost its beak to the dead turtle.

Bonnie went to hide in the closet again that night because dinner was turtle soup and roasted chicken. If she were still with us, we’d know more of her childhood but at least we have the story of Bonnie’s Chicken.