True Western Truth #118
In the squinty-eyed American Old West, it was considered highly impolite to shoot a man carrying a basket of kittens. If you wanted to shoot him you had to wait until he put the basket down, or until the kittens squirmed out and ran away--which usually didn't take too long--kittens were much friskier back in those days, and basket lids weren't invented until 1905.
posted by Latigo Flint @ 11:56 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
So true.
Here are some foxy kittens kissing each other on new years.
I've been away too long Latigo.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/otthobot/84249154/
In the American Old West, did squinty eyed gunslingers really care about being polite ?
Of course, Peter. It's what seperates the squinty-eyed gunslinger from your common gun-toting criminal. You don't shoot a man with a basket of kittens, you don't shoot a man of the cloth (unless it's the evil kind like in that one game), and you don't cuss around a lady. That's cowboy code.
Of course, having a mongoose for a friend could come in handy while getting the kittens out of the basket that much faster. I don't imagine kittens like mongeese a lot. I know they don't like ferrets, anyway.
I'd just like to add that mongeese is the best word ever.
Part of the reason it was determined to be impolite was due to the efforts of Quirky McPherson who loved cats (in part because of a tragic misunderstanding of a term early in his youth.) He hauled several kittens around in Dodge City in a basket in the late 1870s. Quirky was devoted to them and they to him--so much so that, whenever he was shot, the feral kittens would swarm from the fallen basket and claw, scratch, and bite his opponent to death.
Poor Quirky got shot several times--it's hard to concentrate enough for a killing shot when a basketful of feral kittens is staring you in the face--but the lead he took ensured the creation of another rustic Old West tradition.
Little known fact.
I saw that on the History Channel last year.
What about puppies?
Well, I still think it's impolite to shoot someone carrying a basket of kittens. Maybe I'm just living in the past.
Caleb, the pictorial gift you have just given me more than makes up for the severest of absences.
Yes they did Peter, very much so Sir.
Well said Solace Layfield!!! I could not have put it any better myself.
Very insightful Laura. This is indeed true. As much as kittens dislike ferrets, they fear mongeese more.
But Anonymous Shannon, I'm pretty sure junk yard dogs and mongooses are mortal enemies--I must do nothing to jeopardize my future relationship with Corduroy Junction.
Ah yes Slarrow, I'd almost forgotten all about Quirky McPherson, as tragic a figure as ever there was. Thank you for reminding me.
I didn't much like the reenactments LBB--they didn't look fake enough.
Puppies and gunslingers have always considered each other equals Civilbloodshed--blaze away.
Yes you are Amandarama, yes you are.
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