By Josh Shaffer
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
MORRISVILLVE, N.C. — A red-tailed hawk swooped through the front door of the Morrisville public library Monday morning, startling readers, drawing both police and fire departments and setting off a series of bird-related puns.
The raptor, not yet fully grown, passed through the library’s electronic doors about 10 a.m. , just as toddler story time was wrapping up.
“We already thought summer reading had gone to the birds,” said director Christina Adams, making the first of many avian jokes.
Once inside, the hawk flew to a perch atop a set of 15-foot windows, so Adams googled a number for animal control, which Morrisville lacks. She next tried the police, who arrived but couldn’t reach the confused bird of prey, now knocking itself against the glass.
So she called the fire department, which brought a 15-foot ladder and sent a brave rescuer climbing.
“Guess they located this guy in the 598 section of nonfiction,” joked Dusty Broadway on Twitter, making a rare Dewey decimal joke.
The hawk got spooked and flew across the reading room to the windows on the opposite wall, where it waited in an alcove.
“Despite not having a library card,” joked Morrisville fire and rescue on its Facebook page.
Finally, a firefighter equipped with gloves scooped up the hawk and carried it outside, scoring one final bird gag:
“No overdue fees.”
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