Anyone who has driven through the rural South is well acquainted with the various roadside eccentricities. When Natasha and I were students at Auburn, our drive home to Panama City took us along a stretch of Highway 231. The first time we saw it, our disbelief set off a debate that lasted for the rest of the journey. It was the first of several advertisements leading to a junkyard “zoo” by the side of the highway.
Ramona: No way it actually said that!
Natasha: But it did; we both saw it.
Ramona: But how...?
Natasha: I don’t know.
It was a sign with five unforgettable words: SEE GIANT RAT EATIN’ FROGS.
For years it was our running joke; a bizarre diversion from a routine drive. We discussed the possibilities.
Natasha: What exactly do you think goes on there?
Ramona: I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure I can’t handle seeing it.
Natasha: Do you think they have scheduled feeding times so the public can watch?
Ramona: Probably. But I’m still not stopping.
Most puzzling of all is the question of what they were hoping to entice people to observe. Is it a giant rat who is eating some frogs? Or giant frogs who devour a rat (rat eatin’ frogs)? Because the hillbilly message is unclear. One thing we did know is that watching a deranged chow-down like that would be gross. We never did investigate. As with many of life’s mysteries, finding out might spoil the innocent sense of wonderment.
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