My Brother Jesse's memory of his brothers hi-jinks

"One of the really big deals was when mother would buy a live chicken or two and have to ask the kids to kill it for her because she could not stand to do it for herself. Francis usually took control of the hatchet and the rest of us - mainly you and Joe -- would secure the poor bird to the chopping block. Off would go the head and out would spurt the blood. Then -- wonder of wonders - - the headless chicken would run maybe four or five steps -- and keel over. No wonder the people of that time had the saying -- 'you're running like a chicken with his head cut off!'"