My mother used to jest with us as kids: "What lies in the road ... a-head?" (Get it?) I was reminded of this when, a couple of weeks ago on the school drop-off run, there in the middle of the road on the hill up to Colmurano sat ... or perhaps stood ... a leg.
OK, it was lying down, not standing. But it was unmistakably a leg. Not a human one, you'll be relieved to know, but in truth I'm not certain what poor beast was missing it. No other body parts in close proximity, nor a splattering of blood and gore. Just a leg ... neatly severed, lying there.
By its size, it could have been from a sheep, but that's really just a stab (kick?) in the dark, based on the fact that it had a hoof rather than a paw. Wild boar? Perhaps.
In fact, it still looked relatively fresh (given the absence of a cloud of flies), and there were quite a few steaks to be had for anyone with a sharp knife. I didn't, so I edged my way around it - it lay length-ways across the very middle of the road - and watched in the rearview mirror for signs of clues or practical jokes. Nothing.
When I returned sometime later, it was gone. No doubt it was claimed as a prize by either one of the opportune dogs that roam the area, or it's chilling in someone's fridge.
Or maybe it "legged" it down the hill, looking for a 3-legged beast in need of a more balanced gait ...
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