My friend Merry was a travel agent but got laid off due to the pandemic. He had put a lot of seeds away in a rainy day storage unit and has plenty to eat for another year. However, his supply of beer (even with rationing) gave out this week. Merry decided he needed to get a part-time job. He a found a “help wanted” ad looking for someone with experience handling exotic creatures. After a few moments of thought, Merry realized his clientele at the travel agency ran the whole gauntlet of critters.
He got a call and was asked to report to 330 Mammoth Road in Londonderry, New Hampshire at 8am sharp. He arrived not to find a burrow office but a towering stone fortress. The historic sign called it a town pound, a place were loose and unruly critters were placed in “jail” till their owners paid a fine.
He climbed to the top of the thick stone wall only to find fellow Woodpiler Spitfire, the dragonfly there. He was also applying for the job. What an awkward situation!
Merry and Spitfire held a quick conference and decided to apply together as a team. They would split the paycheck 50/50. Town officials thought this was a bargain and hired them on the spot without even interviewing the other candidates.
Here is Merry checking out his Pound Keeper’s office.
The pound was originally built for horses, cows, and pigs. Today it is empty but normally there are a few dogs, raccoons, iguanas, llamas, and the occasional pet alligator.
The first inmate was Joey a teenage ‘munk accused of stealing a slice of pizza at a soccer game.
Joey slipped out of the pound through the front gate which was never designed for small critters.
Just as Joey was making his getaway, Merry perched on the top of the gate yelled for Spitfire who swooped down and grab him by the tail. The Pound under Merry and Spitfire’s careful watch got a reputation as the Alcatraz of the North. No critter ever successfully escaped.
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