Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

The Living Alarm Clock

O NCE upon a time there was a man, and he had a little rooster that had just learned to crow after a fashion. And when it came night the man said: "Now I will go to bed and have a good sleep." And he went to bed and slept. And very early in the morning the little rooster came around to the front of the house, and flapped his wings, and cried: "Kookeroo!"

And the man woke up and said to his wife: "What's that you said?" and she woke up and said: "I did not speak; it must have been the little rooster crowing; but now you have waked me up." So the man threw his hairbrush out of the window at the little rooster and the little rooster ran away. Then the man said: "Well, as long as I'm up, I will plant  my garden." And he planted his garden.

But that night he shut the little rooster in the hen-house and said: "Now, I'll have a long sleep," and he went to bed and slept. But very early in the morning the little rooster flew over the hen-yard fence and ran around to the front of the house, and flapped his wings, and crowed: "Kookeroo!" And the man woke up and said to his wife: "What's that you said?" And she woke up and said: "I did not speak; it must have been the little rooster crowing; but now you have waked me up." So the man threw his comb at the little rooster, but the little rooster already had one and he ran away. Then the man said: "Well, as long as I'm up, I will weed  my garden."

But that night the man shut the little rooster in the hen-house and tied him to the fence with a string. Then he said: "Now, I will have a long sleep." And he went to bed and slept. But very early in the morning the little rooster bit the string in two, and flew over the hen-yard fence, and ran around to the front of the house and crowed: "Kookeroo!" And the man woke up and said to his wife: "What was that you said?" And she woke up and said: "I did not speak; it must have been the little rooster crowing; but now you have waked me up for the day." And she was vexed.

So the man ran out and caught the little rooster and they had him for dinner; and that night the man went to sleep and he slept long and sound, for there was no little rooster to awaken him. And his wife slept as long as he and dreamed pleasant dreams.

But the weeds overran the garden and choked it!