The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-01
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
OF A ROOSTER

- cix wears ago on certain May uas
,,r,od from The gloomy ilenhouse
An company with my mother ana huiiie'
3 ous hrothors and sisters, TO u mover III
1 The vnrd. All was green. the earth Was
clothed in grass and flowers. our iouSe
belonged to a row Of houses all JUST al'ke'
s,,n,nr ton. u door in front, lattice WORK
above the door and sitting on ra'seu
nla,form. After we had been stopped up
sone little time. there came snaii pos
and turned us out lie gaAe' d. 10
while calling us Mice chicks, pretty
4 ah,,,s - and then ran off with his hoop
to play ss,
ovarhcad the sun shining bright. beneath
air feet q velvet carpet, through the az
n. gentle breeze stirring. mother sciatcll-
& 1ntr for us, while we ran about TAKING "
nick here. a pick there. and pecplhs III
to strange places.
W. we're fed three times day. TO
matter where we were, at the stable u,
1,io orchard. or IN the woods we c"uld
.Iways hear that voice crying. Come
chickens come chickens and away we
would scamper, always reaching the
Il ,srop in tno for a liberal supply OF 1000
Resides our family, there were eight or
ten others. OF all size and color my
Self was dressed in SUIT OF no pa 80
4 cular color. but VARYING probably from
& q grizzly gray to dingy rcd but latev
On nv suit became a rich brown.
lgG one day while scratching in the pas
Y ture my father gave the signal that .
NY Iaawk was coming Immediately we ma
lsriibly frightened. My mother and th'
.F'nawk had n struggle, in which she was
assisted by my father: and after a figh
amid dying feathers. tlutterng and clap
ping of wings, they drove the hawk OH
X dnncress. with his head the WORSE FOL
"a wear. Another narrow escape OF mine
was from drowning. One afternoon q
" heavy rain came un, catching US from
al home. We sought what shelter we could
My mother lowered most of us, but
a was SO far away that | had to stand.
drawn up In knot. on a slippery rock
e under a big leaf for two hours, while the
rain poured. the thunder crashed and
the lightning flashed. That evening some
very wet chickens gladly ate their pep
perry supper and went 70 bed.
"Whiskers." the cat was terror to US.
He was always watching to sieze us.
until at last mother gave him some
sound pecks, and he left off his watch
ing. Another terror was the small boy,
who was constantly rolling his hoop
among us. soaring us half 10 death, Not
understanding. liked the boy. Whatever
lie had to eat he would always divide
with us. In due season he gave me a
name, "Michael John Rooster the Red.
and all through lfe' Give I.carried that
name. - :"
Thus the summer passed away. Part
of us were sold myself with several
Others were left to scratch for ourselves
heard the cook remark one day that we
were turned out" though what she
meant by it | never knew. By-and-bs
we became large enough to go into tht
1>a,. u,
proud / felt as ] walked into tho hen
house that first night, But an old roos-
ter, the successor Of ray father. walked
NnIp to me and gave me such a peck OF
the head which sent me flying into al
obscure corner feeling less proud thar
usual soon learned that ] had t.
make myself exceedingly scarce on tn
premises SO early every morning.
sauntered off 10, the stable with severa
Jens as companions, and did not re
1urn until late in the afternoon Ihcr'
was o tug Of war between myself an'
lin all the winter until finally we be
came friends and remained on tolerabl!
good terms for the rest OF the time
After several years Of This ,lIfc ] wa
sold to a ncghboring farmhouse, where
was anticipated lord OF the BARNARD
would jump upon the fence twent
times "A day to assert my rights, chal
longing every rooster in the nciShbor
hood.
The second time / was passed alon
70 1he home where ] now am, Here ais
was master. Here have been the la
Years of my life, quiet, peaceful wear
MY coat is getting rusty now ! am
longer young. In little while you W
never again be aroused in the mornIl
by my solitary t'Cock-a- doodle 900,
# we never meet again always MINK
me as your friend, michael John Roc
WILBUR WATSON,
Chatham, Va