Benny the Bulldozer: How One Chicken Set Imqabba Alight

Imqabba’s Great Tarmac Turmoil

In the quaint township of Imqabba, where the smell of ħobż biż-żejt hangs teasingly in the air, and the serene skyline is usually punctured only by church steeples, trouble was brewing. Resplendent in disbelief, the townsfolk gathered ’round the legendary Maqluba, not to discuss the weather or the price of pastizzi, but to deliberate the impending doom of a proposed tarmac plant. As passionate as a local festa, they vowed to protest till their voices or ġbejniet ran dry.

Enter Benny, the Unlikely Hero

Tonni, a broad-shouldered man with a mustache dense as Buskett Gardens, led the charge. With his pet chicken Benny, who had more followers on TikTok than the entire population of Gozo, Tonni was concocting a plan that would shake the islands right down to their limestone foundations.

“Uwejja, this tarmac plant issue needs a twist sharper than a twisteea’s curve in Valletta,” Tonni proclaimed, as Benny clucked in agreement.

The Beaky Blunder

Suddenly, amidst the tumult of town hall agitation, Benny escaped Tonni’s grasp and bolted—or rather, clucked it—straight for the mayor’s office. Hilarity ensued as officials, armed with plates of leftover rabbit stew from lunch, chased the renegade chicken through historical corridors, dodging knightly armor and priceless tapestries.

“Mela, that’s the last time I bring Benny to a protest!” Tonni hollered, as Benny pecked at a centuries-old map of Mdina, inadvertently revealing a long-forgotten tunnel right under the proposed plant site.

The Plot Unravels

With a plot twist thicker than figolla icing, the citizens of Imqabba were left gaping as historians dashed in, declaring the tunnel a heritage marvel, thus halting the plant’s construction indefinitely. Citizens erupted in joyful disbelief, with Benny now roosted atop the mayor’s head broadcasting the epic gaffe live to his fanbase.

Benny’s Beak Speaks Volumes

The chicken’s peck not only unearthed history but also pecked a hole in the hearts of the authorities. Seizing the opportunity, the residents embraced their feathery savior, rallying behind Benny’s viral fame to sway public opinion. With Benny as their mascot, they nudged the powers-at-be to rethink the balance between progress and preservation.

An Egg-cellent Resolution

Thanks to the pandemonium, the mayor had a change of heart. He issued a manifesto that was less traffic congestion and more confectionery perfection, promising greener spaces and preserving historical places, all while Benny, now dubbed ‘Benny the Bulldozer,’ received the unofficial title of ‘Guardian of Imqabba.’

“Looks like Benny laid the golden egg of activism, eh?” Tonni chuckled, as the town rejoiced in their victory.

In the heart of Imqabba, at the foot of the great Maqluba, the odd feather, a whiff of tarmac, and echoes of laughter would remind future generations of the day a chicken didn’t just cross the road—it saved it.