Like the farmer and the cowman, the taxidermist and the billiards player

should be friends. A substantial number of taxidermists shoot pool, after

all, and many a pool player proudly displays a full-curl ram or five-point elk

upon his den wall. What's more, the skills essential to billiards are useful

to the budding taxidermist – just as a tanner's knowledge can pay

dividends at the pool table. A pool player knows how to guide the ball

with nothing but aim and the right amount of force – the same instinctive

sense used when guiding an animal skin over a fiberglass mount.

And the taxidermist knows just where to push and prod to bring

a lifelike snarl to the head of a mounted baboon – just as the pool

player knows the very moment to add a little 'English' to ball to send

it careering straight for the eight ball to win the match.