The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-07-19
THE L1TTLE ROOSTER

There was once upon time little
tin rooster which stood very high in
deed on the top of the town hall
steeple. He was new little rooster
with very long tail. He shone and
glittered in the sun, and he thought
to himself, as he stood there so far
above all the other roosters down
below in the barnyard:
Now this is because I am made of
tin, and have such very long tail.
They put me up here on the steeple
for all the world to see."
The little tin rooster stood perfect
ly still, and felt very proud, and
spread out his tail in the pleasant
sunshine. He did not remember that
| he should be of some use in the
world. He was thinking only of how
pretty he looked in the sunlight. He
was vain of his tin feathers, and he
began to make great deal of trouble
for the people down in the village.
Out in the harbor the old sailor
had anchored his ship. He was 60
ing for long voyage to foreign ports
when the wind blew in from the west.
There he would buy silk dresses for
the grandmothers, and sugar and
spices for the cooks, and great round
oranges for all the little boys, and
French dolls for all the little girls.
~Ahoy, ahoy, up there!" the old
sailor called out to the little rooster
on the steeple. (which way is the
wind? Will it blow from the west
soon?"
"Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doo-
| Nov how should / know anything
about the wind? l stand here that
all the world may see how my tail
, glittersl"
And the little rooster on he steeple
stood still and never moved. AS for
the old sailor-why, of course, he
couldn't sail shat day.
~ Down in the meadow the busy
farmer stood ready with his scythe
to cut down his hay. Before he
swung it over his shoulder, though,
he looked up at the little rooster on
the steeple.
"Halloo, up there!" he said.
which way is the wind? Will it
blow from the east to-day?"
"Noy how can tell?" said the vain
little rooster. at is no affair of mine
which way the wind blows. / stand
here that all the world may see how
brightly shine in the sunshine"
The farmer swung his scythe.
Swish, swish, it went, and the yellow
hay lay in great rows along the field.
Then he raked it into round hay
cocks; but, just as he had finished,
splash, splash, patter, patter! All,
the wind was come up from the cast,
bringing the rain, and the farmers
hay was quite spoiled, all because of
the foolish little rooster.
In the wee cottage by the lane,
mother dear was washing the baby's
clothes. Caps and socks and frocks
and tiny jackets there were in red
tub and covered with snow-white
soapsuds. Mother dear had her sleeves
rolled to her elbows, and as she
sudsed and rinsed and wrung the
pretty things. she looked through the
vines that grew round the cottage
door and up at the little rooster on
the steeple.
win there be soft, south wind
to-day" she asked, "to dry the baby's
clothes?"
Il don't know, I'm sure" said the
little tin rooster. "You see / have
no time to attend to such affairs. /
am up here to- be admired, not to
watch for the wind"
So mother dear hung all the baby's
clothes out on the line; but, alas! no
soft south wind came by. The clothes
did not dry at all that day, which was
partly the fault Of the proud little
rooster.