The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-07-22
THE LITTLE 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 a new little rooster
with a 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:
Nov this is because 1 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 a great deal of trouble
for the people down in the village.
Out in the harbor the old sailor
had anchored his ship. He was go
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 k-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doo-
dle-doo!" said the little tin rooster
Now how should I know anything
about the wind? I stand here thai
all the world may see how my tai
glitters."
And the little rooster on ne steeple
stood still and never moved. AS fol
the old sailor-why, of course, he
couldn't sail that day.
Down in the meadow, the bus,
farmer stood ready with his scytht
to cut down his hay. Before h'
swung it over his shoulder, though
he looked up at the little rooster ol
! the steeple.
| "Halloo, up there." he said
(Which way is the wind? Will i
| blow from the east to-day?"
[ Now how can l tell?" said the vail
| little rooster. 1T is no affair of min
which way the wind blows. l ,stan'
here that all the world may see hoN
brightly I shine in the sunshine"
The farmer swung his scythe
| Swish, swish. it went, and the yelloN
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! Ar
the wind was come up from the cas-
bringing the rain, and the farmer
hay was quite spoiled, all because c
the foolish little rooster.
In the wee cottage by the lane
mother dear was washing the baby
clothes. Caps and socks and frocB
and tiny Jackets there were il a re
tub and covered with snow-whit
soapsuds. Mother dear had her sleeve
rolled to her elbows, and as sh
| sudsed and rinsed and Trung tn
pretty things. she looked through tn
vines that grew round the cottag
door and up at the little rooster Q
the steeple.
"Will there be a soft, south win
to-day" she asked, Ito dry the baby
clothes?"
Il don't know, I'm sure" said IL
little tin rooster. You see L hay
no time to attend to such affairs.
am up here to be admired, not
watch for the wind.
So mother dear hung all the baby
clothes out on the line: but, alas! I
,, soft south wind came by. The cloth
did not dry at all that day, which W;
| partly the fault of the proud lltt
9oster.