It Sure Looked Dead to Me
It sure looked dead to me. We had offered to feed our son’s bearded dragon while he and his family were away, but when we came in that morning, the lizard was upside down in its cage, its stiff legs outstretched from its final agony. I sighed, and called in my wife. She agreed: it was obviously dead, and probably dried out. I hesitated to call our son. The children would be heartbroken, and even more, it was our granddaughter’s birthday. After giving the bad news, I figured I would dig a hole, bury the body, and take the empty cage away so that the children would have no shocking reminder of the tragedy when they returned. When I called, I gravely informed my son that I had something to tell him. Unfortunately, he immediately put on our granddaughter to wish her a happy birthday. Though my mood was somber, I cheerily wished her well, and heard how she was doing. Afterward, I asked to talk again with her father. Surprisingly, our son was not fluste