Kathi Linz - Chickens May Not Cross the Road and Other Crazy (But True) Laws

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CHICKENS MAY NOT CROSS THE ROAD AND OTHER CRAZY (BUT TRUE) LAWS Kathi Linz
Illustrated by Tony Griego Houghton Mifflin Company
Boston

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To my students, who taught me more than I taught them
To my mother and husband, both of whom encouraged me to follow my dreams
To my daughter, whom I love
K.L. For Lucy, Nancy, and Rocky
T.G. REFERENCES I began my research with www.dumblaws.com but included only laws that were corroborated by a second source.
K.L. Bartlett, John, and Justin Kaplan. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1992. "Magna Carta." Documents from Old Testament Times, "The Hammurabi Steele." Partially retold in English by Stan Rummel,
director of the humanities program at Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth, Texas. "Magna Carta." Documents from Old Testament Times, "The Hammurabi Steele." Partially retold in English by Stan Rummel,
director of the humanities program at Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth, Texas.

Hyman, Dick. The Columbus Chicken Statue and More Bonehead Legislation. Lexington, Mass.: Stephen Greene Press, 1985. . The Trenton Pickle Ordinance and Other Bonehead Legislation. Brattleboro, Vt.: Stephen Greene Press, 1976. Microsoft Encarta 98, 199397, s.v. "Susan B.

Anthony," "Intolerable Acts," "Stamp Act." Seuling, Barbara. You Can't Eat Peanuts in Church and Other Little-Known Laws. New York: Doubleday, 1975. The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2000, s.v. "U.S. Constitution." Text copyright 2002 by Kathi Linz
Illustrations copyright 2002 by Tony Griego All rights reserved. www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com The text of this book is set in Stone Informal.
The illustrations are pen and ink and watercolor. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Linz, Kathi.
Chickens may not cross the road and other crazy (but true) laws / by Kathi Linz; illustrated by Tony Griego.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
Summary: A collection of humorous laws from across the country, along
with information on why we have laws and how they are established.
HC ISBN: 0-618-11257-X PB ISBN: 0-618-80905-8
1. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
Summary: A collection of humorous laws from across the country, along
with information on why we have laws and how they are established.
HC ISBN: 0-618-11257-X PB ISBN: 0-618-80905-8
1.

LawUnited StatesHumorJuvenile literature. [1. LawHumor.
2. LawHistory.] I. Griego, Tony, ill. II.

Title.
K184.L569 2002 348.73'02dc21 2001051626 HC ISBN-13: 978-0-618-11257-9
PA ISBN-13: 978-0-618-80905-9 MANUFACTURED IN CHINA
SCP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 It is against the Law to carry an ice cream cone in a pocket. (Lexington, Kentucky) Elephants May Walk On Main Street ONLY if They are on a Leash. (San Francisco, California) Why Do We Have Such Crazy Laws? All of the laws in this book either are or once were on the state law books. But how can our cities or states pass such crazy laws? Some strange-sounding laws exist to keep people safe. In California, it's illegal to lick toads (even if you wanted to). Why? One kind of toad oozes poison through its skin.

Some people got a druglike high by licking it. The law was written to keep people from harming themselves with toad poison. But there are hundreds and hundreds of laws that just plain don't make sense. In Texas, "If two trains meet each other on the same track, they must both stop and wait until the other one has passed." (Huh? That means neither train can move.) Or, in Belvedere, California, "No dog can appear in public without its master on a leash." (Someone should have paid attention to the language teacher.) And we can only guess why any government would pass a law about keeping elephants on leashes. Donkeys are not Allowed to Sleep in Bathtubs. (Boston, Massachusetts) No One May Lay Laundry Out in The Street To Dry. (Savannah, Georgia) It is illegal to Tie a Crocodile to a Fire Hydrant. (Michigan State Law) How About Having No Laws? Since such stupid laws get passed, how about having no rules? What fun! But what if no one stopped at a stop sign? What if the neighborhood bully was allowed to steal your bike? Or if it were fine for someone to shoot your dog or cat? What if someone really did tie a crocodile to the fire hydrant in front of your house? Okay, so that probably won't happen, but wise lawslike those against stealing, murder, and arsonhelp people live together peacefully. "Law is order, and good law is good order."
Socrates, ancient Greek philosopher "Laws should be like clothes.
They should fit the people they serve."
Clarence Darrow, U.S. lawyer "Law is order, and good law is good order. lawyer "Law is order, and good law is good order.

STOP Now Showing No Way Two Please! No one May Take a Lion to a Movie Theater. (Baltimore, Maryland) Monkeys Shall Not Ride On Buses. (San Antonio, Texas) It is Forbidden to Fish for Whales. (Oklahoma State Law) What is the Oldest Set of Laws Ever Written? Almost 3,000 years ago, a man named Hammurabi became king of Babylon (where Iraq is today). His law code was used for more than 500 years. If a free person puts out another free person's eye, that person's eye shall be put out.If a son strikes his father, his hand shall be cut off.

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