I saw this case at Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield, MA.
I get it.
Amidst cases filled with lizards, insects, and other creatures, you don’t want visitors staring into an empty case, looking for something that doesn’t exist.
But I see a sign like this and think, “Someone is messing with me. I’ll bet there’s something great in that case.” So I always look, expecting to see something.
It’s always as empty as advertised.
Still, I never believe these signs. I always look.
I think it’s for two reasons:
- I grew up visiting Southwick’s Zoo (formerly Southwick’s Wild Animal Farm), which has a small, red house-like structure in the center of the zoo. It has a small window for looking inside and a sign reading, “The Amazing Red Bat. Take a look!”Inside, you’ll find a red baseball bat.I’ve been trained to distrust and look for the joke.
- If I owned a zoo, butterfly conservatory, aquarium, or similar facility, I might post a sign that says, “This case is empty,” on a case that is not empty, designed to reward the curious, the suspicious, and the nonconformist.I would most definitely do this.
Thus far I have not been rewarded.
