Here is something special in the Mondayitis lineup. I managed to squeeze a few words out of Archie, a flying fox raised by Richard Morecroft. Archie was very excited to talk to me.

What do you read?

I can’t read. Richard never taught me to read, he did many things for me but DIDN’T TEACH ME TO READ! WHY NOT? I’M INTELLIGENT!

Why do you read?

Richard did read to me, every night he read to me about politics. No, don’t tell me he was reading to other people, he was reading to me I was the centre of his world and he read to me. Sure I spent the time under his shirt and there were cameras but he was reading to ME!

Do you read for work or for pleasure and is there any difference between the two?

<very mournful> I’d love to read, it’d be FUN!

Do you read to your kids or to someone else’s kids?

I’m not reading to them. Richard READ TO ME!

Can you do the Safety Dance while reading?

Never, my thumb-claws can do lots of damage. Yes!

Are you a rabid Discworld/Twilight/Harry Potter fan and would you attend a flash mob dressed as your favourite character?

I don’t need to dress up, I have my own fancy dress, see my wings!

Thank you to Archie, a flying fox raised by Richard Morecroft. You can read more in his book Raising Archie where he talks about reading the news on the ABC with Archie tucked under his shirt, or dining out with Archie escaping from his ‘bonds’ while under his shirt. He also talks about the importance of ecosystems.