03/15/2026
The morning started like any other.
Hank stepped out into the yard with one mission: patrol the chicken coop. Very serious business. National security level stuff. The chickens were scratching around like tiny feathered freeloaders, completely unaware that danger lurked nearby.
Suddenly—
Rustle.
Hank froze.
His ears lifted. His nose twitched. His entire body stiffened like a statue of a very dramatic dog.
There it was.
A rat.
Not just any rat. In Hank’s mind, this was clearly a large, highly trained criminal mastermind rat that had come to steal chicken food and disrespect the entire property.
The rat dashed along the edge of the run.
Hank launched.
Dust flew. Chickens squawked. One hen flapped onto the roost screaming like someone pulled a fire alarm.
Hank skidded around the corner of the coop like a NASCAR driver who maybe shouldn’t be driving NASCAR.
The rat disappeared under a board.
Hank jammed his nose into the gap.
Nothing.
He sniffed harder.
Still nothing.
He looked up at the chickens as if to say, “Did you see that?? That was a big one.”
The chickens stared back with the blank judgment of creatures that have seen Hank fall off the porch before.
Hank circled the coop again. Slow. Focused. Determined.
Suddenly—
Rustle.
Hank whipped around.
The rat sprinted across the run again.
Hank charged full speed… overshot the turn… slid through a pile of straw… and came to a stop directly in front of the water bucket.
The rat vanished.
Again.
Hank stood there panting, covered in straw, looking like a dog who had just lost a wrestling match with a hay bale.
After a long pause, he walked over to the shade, flopped down in the grass, and sighed deeply.
The chickens resumed eating like nothing happened.
But Hank kept one eye open.
Because somewhere out there…
that criminal mastermind rat was still on the loose.
And tomorrow…
the hunt continues.
