(click on the picture to enlarge it)

Contribution to Illustration Friday.

When "Piou number 4" * came out of his eggshell it was kind of a surprise for him to observe that he has been the last chick to make his way out of the egg.

In all likelihood, his three older brothers already broke the shell and went off for their first "Piou class".

He, therefore, decided to join them as quietly as possible to avoid waking his mum up and let her caught him in the act of late ignition.

he does not want, his appalling first steps in post-incubation world, would ruin his reputation and turn into a stigma for life.

From the inside of the egg, he did not see the hatching stage that way. He had imagined himself as the oldest one, endowed with a charismatic leader personality. Here he is, sheepish, his shell under hid arm, discreet youngest child.

I have to say that I found this chick a touch dramatic!!! ... reminds me of Calimero, except that, unlike Calimero, he is determined not to spend his life saying "It is an injustice. Is it?".

Our chick just got off to a bad start. Don't be worry about him: he strongly is in favor of the resilience concept (originally defined by Emmy Werner) applied to the psychology. Even more so since he has read, from the depths of his egg, the book: "les vilains petits canard" (I don't know about the translation, I will have to ask somebody about it)... from the French psychiatrist and ethologist Boris Cyrulnik.

I know, Cyrulnik is not the only one who'd talked about resilience in France but he is presenting it in both professional and friendly way. It is great fun to read him and listen to him.

Anyway, it was one of the best book "Piou 4" had read when he was in his egg. It is now helping him to face a chicken life...

Past his first over reacting moment (birth is always a bit confusing), it became pretty clear for him that even sheepish, discreet chick can have great fun in life.

He is late, so what? He didn't mean to be late...

He is eventually ready for diction class. He can already hear Piou number 1,2,3 from a distance.

• Mum will have her chick's names sorted out later on... a little ceremony will be taking place this evening.