Page 134

By Jack Joseph Smith

/o/ ‘The-wemen and ‘the. man. were-Pollowed im by:.a. man. assecduck; Animali watched’ the -duekman move easing the-deg, The-deg felit\.the presences and‘ wondering. ~ Frau ster around looking over its ass.it wished fer the~ luck . _. Prankster to go:aways But the duck was steady on i BEF fArnet efthvgg-knees, .it appeared’ for keepsy’ The dog: knew: that wings without!feathers could ‘not fly, but all ~ ford ter the>same could make waved, and ‘the duckuans flesh. . atretehed ‘to-move-as ‘slowly as :pessitiles Animal’ watehed ‘waiting fer the wings:to-pick up»speeds' He~ knew ‘for ati least laughter: to flutter, , there had” te be an exeiting quickness, The deg. begam te make - shifts in its Wehaver, Sonetimes en its“hiness to then: fully ina squirry, With no musele-on.the -tips, the dégs ears were tuned'as ‘theugh they were -wireds Arithal’ leoked ‘to -and fro from the dég down: ati.the- end ‘of “the bar ‘te the-duck nearby the deerways' The: ducks -squa't. was:neatly purposeds Somehow the duck hada chanee to-be wise-heres Fitstthe way te field! ewts Of eourse-the smoke was mist; The tables: flat. U mushroomd,; and the glazed ‘lights could be milnipule ated ‘inte a tarnished yoidenishadés'sThecdueck went. te-meve aleng the outer-tables glimpsing about: ase he balanced ‘on his seperated webbs,' The deg rese up in sent; and quivered its supprised ‘nestrelss

Original Scan

Page 134

AI Interpretation

GPT

A dog and duck scene at the bar becomes an elaborate study of tension, instinct, speed, and comic observation.

The animal comedy matters because it mirrors the human room around it. Smoke, lights, movement, and waiting turn the bar into a small theater where intelligence appears as bodily timing.

Claude

A dog-and-duck scene at the bar becomes an elaborate study of tension, instinct, speed, and comic observation. The page is barroom slapstick written with ethological care.