The Big Green Rooster

Once upon a time a cat and a dog and a mouse and a big green rooster all lived together in a little house.

Often the big green rooster would sleep all day on the soft couch in the living room. Some days the big green rooster would nap all day on the hammock on the shady back porch. On other days the big green rooster would snooze all day in the big chair in the parlor.

The cat and the dog and the mouse had to do all the housework. The cat cooked the meals and washed the dishes. The dog made the beds and swept the floor. The mouse washed the windows and mended the clothes.

Since the big green rooster could only be one place at a time, that left open two comfortable resting places.

If the cat or the dog or the mouse stopped working to rest on the couch or the porch or the chair the big green rooster would wake up. He would shout, “That’s my couch (or porch or chair)!” Then he would sleep wherever the cat or the dog or the mouse had tried to rest.

The cat and the dog and the mouse were too agitated by the big green rooster to get any rest during the day.

The cat and the dog and the mouse raked the leaves and cut the grass and tended the garden. One day when they were working in the garden they found some grains of wheat.

“Who will plant this wheat?” they all cried.

“Not I,” shouted the big green rooster from the soft couch in the living room.

“Then we will,” said the cat and the dog and the mouse. And they did.

Each morning the cat and the dog and the mouse watered the wheat and pulled the weeds. Soon the wheat pushed through the ground and the plants grew quickly.

When the wheat was ripe, the cat and the dog and the mouse asked, “Who will cut this wheat?”

“Not I,” yelled the big green rooster from the hammock on the back porch.

“Then we will,” said the cat and the dog and the mouse. And they did.

When the wheat was cut, the cat and the dog and the mouse asked, “Now, who will take this wheat to the mill to be ground into flour?”

“Not I,” exclaimed the big green rooster from the big chair in the parlor.

“Then we will,” said the cat and the dog and the mouse. And they did.

The cat and the dog and the mouse returned from the mill carrying bags of fine white flour. “Who will make a cake from this fresh white flour?” they asked.

“Not I,” declared the big green rooster from somewhere comfortable.

“Then we will,” said the cat and the dog and the mouse. And they did.

The cat gathered sticks and made a fire in the stove.

The dog took milk and sugar and eggs and butter and mixed them in a big bowl with the nice white flour.

When the oven was hot the mouse poured the cake batter into a pan and put it in the oven.

After a while a wonderful smell filled the little house.

The big green rooster got out of bed and strutted into the kitchen.

The cat and the dog and the mouse were taking a splendid cake out of the oven.

“Who will eat this cake?” they asked.

“Chicken eggs are in that cake,” said the big green rooster. “I am going to eat it.”

But the cat and the dog and the mouse said, “We found the wheat, we planted the wheat, we took care of the wheat, we cut the wheat, and we took the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour. We gathered the sticks, we built the fire, we mixed the cake, and we are going to eat it!”

But the big green rooster grabbed the cake and gobbled it down leaving only crumbs. The cat and the dog and the mouse ate the crumbs because nothing else was left from their hard work with the wheat.


Copyright July 20, 2009
eMeRaLD Effect Enterprises