The truth about Galveston.

The dawn of a new day found them trundling down the road headed into the sunrise. The Aussie had slept well, and now directed their mechanical progress, while the Texan navigated. He was feeling mischievous, and decided to have a little fun at the 5t man's expense. "You know what Grasshopper tastes like?" he asked. The Texan had heard all about Australians and their Kangaroos, but he didn't know what they tasted like and so he was unable to answer preemptively. "I give up... what do they taste like?' he asked indulgently. "Chicken," the Aussie said, expecting fireworks. Remembering his promise, it was the Texan's turn to be the bigger man, and he addressed his friend constructively. "I'll tell you what... I know what Otters think!" he said, spreading his net in plain sight. The Aussie's ears perked up, because this was a potential Otter story, and he was pretty sure Otter's didn't eat 'roos, but couldn't for the life of him imagine them making a meal of locust either, so he was intrigued. "I'm sure I've NEVER heard," he said. "Please do tell!" "Well, there was this whole FAMILY of Otters, living near the mouth of the old Mississippi, and one year after torrential rains, the fish all washed out to sea and left them hungry. So Daddy Otter gamely led his family up the river, fighting a fairly urgent current, until they finally turned into a Louisiana swamp, all tuckered out. Well, in this swamp there was an abundant supply of Alligators, and they had been helping themselves to the nearby Herder's Sheep. One at a time, they'd lie in wait while the sheep came down to drink, and they'd jump and snap, and make a meal of one. Well the Otter family was downright hungry after all that swimming, and sheep were not as easily reached as Alligator, so Daddy Otter sneaked around and came up under the soft throat of the Alligator laying in wait, and killed him. All the Alligators were mad as hops, but they didn't really want to brace a cornered hungry Otter family, so they waited around and didn't kill them right away. The farmer would come out once a day and feed his chicken in the Alligator trap he had set out to catch an over zealous Alligator; the Alligators would delegate one Alligator to lay in wait; the sheep would come down to drink, and Daddy Otter would kill the Alligator before he got the Sheep. Within three weeks, the Alligator supply had mysteriously dwindled more than natural selection could account for, and soon the Otters were hungry once again. Well Daddy Otter was not out of moves yet, and set about to get the Chicken out of that trap. He was savvy, though, and didn't want to fall Alligator victim, so he set it off with a stick of wood. Well, the wood trap would have caught him IF he would have been too slow, but he wasn't and it didn't and he soon had him some chicken. Well his baby otters all enjoyed the chicken, and when he asked what it tasted like, do you know what they said?" the Texan paused at the interrogative and did not continue until the Aussie finally asked, "What?" "It tastes like ALLIGATOR." the Texan finished off, laughing delightedly. Well the Aussie man had found out that his friend was not unarmed in a battle of the wits, and laughed till his eyes watered. "Do you know, Texan, I think you understand what it means to be understood?" Without rancor, the Texan was nonetheless unsure he was ready to agree. "Well I hope you don't mean you think I'm a simpleton and you know already what to expect, no matter what I say!" he explained honestly. "It's not like that at all," the Aussie hastened to explain. "Who's your best hunting buddy?" "Well that would be Travis, from out Austin way," he volunteered. "Well, when you and Travis go hunting, does he ever act like a fool, and scare away the game?" "Of course not," the Texan answered, still not sure of his friendly tutor's intentions. "That's because you and Travis have an mutual understanding... you understand each other at least THAT much!" The man from OZ had made his point completely manifest, and the Texan couldn't disagree. Understanding someone clearly meant that you were not really going to hurt them, unless it was a hunting accident. "We'll be in OZ soon," he volunteered further. The Aussie wasn't sure if the Texan was joking or had taken leave of his senses. "OZ? Are you sure?" he asked. "Oh yeah. We worked it out while you were drunk. Brownsville is as far South as you can go, and Galveston is the nearest Island to the North. I just regret it was dark when we crossed the Yellow Brick road, or we'd be there already." The Australian had a feeling it was going to be a VERY long day.