Have you ever played the game, where you whisper something to someone who then passes it on to the next person, who passes it on etc. and at the end of the game the story is no longer the same as the first person told it?

During the summer months we have our grandsons stay with us. They love being here with all the animals. The chickens are bit of a favorite with them and they love to pick them up and carry them around or just sit with one on their lap and pet it.

Grandpa watched the boys one day chase a chicken and pick it up. He watched them walk around with it for a bit. They took it out front and stood it in the cement mixer for a bit. Then took it around the side of the work shop and found an old wheel from a car. They put the bird in the wheel, giggling all the time and then sat on the opening so it couln't get out!

Grandpa finally called and asked the boys what they were doing. They jumped up real fast and said " Grandpa, look, we found a chicken in this old wheel"

No real harm was done and the chicken is just fine.
The boys were chastised for chasing the chicken in the first place and for not telling the truth after the fact.

Well. We told the story to someone, who, told the story to someone.
I got a call from our niece the other day saying she heard about our chicken. "Chicken?" I asked.
"Yes, the boys and the chicken". "The boys and the chicken?" I said.
"Yes the one the boys killed." "The boys haven't killed any chicken" I replied.
"I heard they swung it around until it was dead. Hide the body in an old tire and lied about knowing any thing about it.!!

I told her the real story but doubt it will change the fact that some people now believe our grandsons are heartless chicken killers !!!