Experience teaches us to distrust her lessons.

by John Barth,
The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor.

Coyoté saw Roadrunner scurry around the cholla cactus.
So he headed round the cactus the other way.
After all, what Roadrunner chased might be good to eat.

As he lept past fallen cactus
he almost ran over Owl.
He jumped away from the cactus
to avoid one of them ending up in it.

"Whoa!" Owl screeched.
Coyoté caught his breath.
Roadrunner walked up behind Owl.

Owl turned to Roadrunner
and said, "You find it?"
"No," was the reply.

Coyoté waited for a clue.
Roadrunner turned to watch him.
Silent.
Owl did too.

"What!?!" Coyoté asked.
"Nothin' " was the joint reply.
"Hey, I just came over to help!" Coyoté exclaimed.
"Yeah," Owl said
as he calmly watched Coyoté.
Coyoté turned to Roadrunner.
"Yeah," Roadrunner said
as he calmly watched Coyoté.

"This is a trick, isn't it?" Coyoté exclaimed.
Owl and Roadrunner just watched him.

"Ah, forget it," Coyoté muttered and turned.
Just then Owl exclaimed, "There it is!"
And he stepped past Coyoté
to pick up a small piece of paper.

"This is the lost item?" Coyoté exclaimed.
"Yeah," Owl said
as he calmly watched Coyoté.
Coyoté turned to Roadrunner.
"Yeah," Roadrunner said
as he calmly watched Coyoté.

"Ah, litter, I get it." Coyoté muttered and turned.
Owl and Roadrunner just watched him.

Once he was out of sight
they went back to hunting for the lizard.
Not knowing it was in Coyoté's pocket as he left.
But a larger one came their way,
scared up by Coyoté as he stomped away.