We got "Grapes of Wrath" from Blockbuster and watched it last night.
I tell you, when Tommy Joad is talking about his ma attacking that peddler, I just roared and knew right then I was truly an Oklahoman! You remember? She had an axe in one hand and live chicken in the other. She meant to attack him with the axe, but got confused and beat him up with the live chicken! Tom said "When she got done, all she had was a couple of chicken legs."
I laughed so hard.
"What I can't understand is my folks takin' it! Like Ma! I seen her nearly beat a peddler to death with a live chicken. She aimed to go for him with an ax she had in the other hand but she got mixed up and forgot which hand was which and when she got through with that peddler all she had left was two chicken legs."
Country women knew how to take care of their families. My Daddy told a story about his Mama, from when he was about 8 or 9. His older brothers had gone into 'town', and he was alone with his Mama at their house out in the sticks. She heard a step on the front porch, and called out both his brothers' names. When no one answered, he said she picked up her shotgun, cocked it, and in one motion, swung the door open and let loose with that gun. She never saw who it was, but my Daddy said the guy probably didn't stop running for a mile!