The Chicken or the Egg

I was reading the paper and sitting quietly with my dear friend as he read a book. The evening was drawing to a close, and we were letting the fire in the library hearth die when he broke the silence.

"So which is it, Watson? The chicken or the egg?" asked Sherlock Holmes. He closed his book and recrossed his long thin legs. "I'm sure you have an opinion regarding which came first. Let's hear it, man."

I folded the paper as I could see this was not going to be a question I could simply answer with one of the two choices. "Let me consider the question for a moment. Shall I put another log on the fire?"

"Yes, yes. Take your time and another log would be splendid," said Holmes. He opened his book and continued to read while I focused on the fire and his question.

Knowing Sherlock as I do, considering the reason for his question, and the path that my answer would take us, would be as important as the question itself.

I settled back in my favorite chair and sipped my tepid tea. "I will have to say the egg came first."

Holmes snapped his book closed. "The egg? So you propose that in some period of the Earth's creation, thousands of eggs sprung forth from the primordial soup? Or is it that God placed eggs hither and thither?"

"Dear Holmes, you did not ask me how I believe they came to exist, only which came first," I said trying to hide my grin behind my tiny teacup.

"Yes. I suppose you are correct. But I implied that I wished to have your opinion on such an evolutionary and theological subject," said Holmes. He rubbed his hand across the leather bound book.

"If I must say, I want to believe in the book we consider the word of God but at the same time, I am confronted by the science that seems to indicate another timeline. So, is it not possible that the creation took place millions of years ago, and we have evolved to where we are today? But to accept that as a correct theory, does it not then contradict the bible?

"Holmes, as a man of science, I honestly don't know what to believe," I concluded.

Holmes stared into the fire. "This issue of evolution versus creation creates quite a heated conversation between men from all walks of life. Everyone has an opinion. I appreciate you sharing your views from both a religious and scientific perspective.

"I do not believe that God or a higher power had anything to do with the creation of the planet we call home. If so, we would surely have met this being by now or we would have had some concrete proof in all these years.

"As for a planet dotted with eggs...."

"I actually think the chicken came first as the mother needs to warm the eggs for a few weeks before her chicks hatch," I interrupted.

"Watson, what is in that tea you are sipping?"

"I said egg because I knew you would go with the chicken and we'd have an interesting banter. But if I would have agreed with you, you would have gone right back to your book," I explained.

Sherlock opened his book and I shook out my paper.

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Writer's Cramp Prompt 6/13 is: Imagine two characters arguing over the old question about which came first – the chicken or the egg?

How does that “discussion” end?

Word count: 554