In reading my friend Sam Jones’ reply to Keith Benoist’s letter regarding the chicken (rooster) that lost his head on John R. Junkin Drive, I felt compelled to follow up on the question of “why was the chicken trying to cross the road.”

After all, as owner and sometimes visitor to a moderately popular deli on Canal Street that has gained some small measure of fame for its chicken salad, it was only natural that I follow up on Sam’s inquiry.

I did extensive research on the subject, with inquiries of many local experts, including a bunch of coffee drinkers at the place on Franklin Street, some of the famous lunch crowd at the aforementioned deli, a few patrons at some local watering holes on Main, Broadway and State streets, and, lastly, with the ultimate experts, my golfing group at Beau Pré.

The result of this exhaustive survey was that, unlike the bear who went over the mountain just to see what he could see, the chicken (rooster) wanted to cross the road … (pause for effect) … to get to the other side.

Should you have any other significant questions, please do not hesitate to write them on paper, attach to a piece of green paper with a dead president’s picture on it and drop it off at the above unnamed deli.

We will again inquire with our panel of local experts and will certainly come up with some proper, if not logical, answers.

Dick Walcott

Natchez resident