I had occasion to go to my local post office recently. On the way I saw a group of pigeons noisily contesting pieces of bread that had been thrown out onto the side of the road. I then realised that, a little removed, one pigeon was dead - but it seemed that none of the others had noticed, or that it meant nothing at all to them.
I thought I had better move the body elsewhere - maybe into a nearby hedge way; somewhere out of the roadside at least. However, I decided to head to the post office first since it was close to closing time. I returned less than ten minutes later and the noisy pigeons had gone - or so I thought.
I noticed that the dead pigeon was still lying near the curb and much of the bread had been left uneaten. I assumed that the group of pigeons had flown off but then I noticed a telegraph wire above the scene and there they were, each of the pigeons who had been keenly battling for bread a few minutes earlier. They were perched on the wire, all in the line, and totally silent. They seemed to be looking down at the dead pigeon in some sort of quiet reflection.
It looked for all the world to me that they were paying their respects in some fashion.
I thought I had better move the body elsewhere - maybe into a nearby hedge way; somewhere out of the roadside at least. However, I decided to head to the post office first since it was close to closing time. I returned less than ten minutes later and the noisy pigeons had gone - or so I thought.
I noticed that the dead pigeon was still lying near the curb and much of the bread had been left uneaten. I assumed that the group of pigeons had flown off but then I noticed a telegraph wire above the scene and there they were, each of the pigeons who had been keenly battling for bread a few minutes earlier. They were perched on the wire, all in the line, and totally silent. They seemed to be looking down at the dead pigeon in some sort of quiet reflection.
It looked for all the world to me that they were paying their respects in some fashion.
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