{"id":493,"date":"2009-03-25T20:47:21","date_gmt":"2009-03-26T03:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/?p=493"},"modified":"2009-04-21T20:00:56","modified_gmt":"2009-04-22T03:00:56","slug":"story-the-rooster-that-woudnt-crow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/2009\/03\/25\/story-the-rooster-that-woudnt-crow\/","title":{"rendered":"Storybook: The Rooster that Woudn’t Crow"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Artie Knapp (USA)
\nthe author has an excellent story site: Knapptime Stories<\/a>
\nillustration by Kevin Scott Collier<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It was the driest summer on record, and all the crops were wilting away. Every farmer in the region was reeling from their losses. Desperate to change his fortunes, Peter Harpole decided to try his luck with poultry farming. Peter didn\u2019t know much about chickens, but selling eggs would be a great source of food, and hopefully income for him and his family. If he was successful at it!<\/p>\n

As the sun got closer to rising over the Harpole farm, Toby, the Harpole\u2019s new rooster, took his place atop a wooden fence next to the barn. It was Toby\u2019s first chance to showcase his ability to crow. Peter purchased Toby the night before from the McHenry farm down the road. The Harpole\u2019s were desperate for a good crower, because the other rooster on their farm had laryngitis. With the purchase of Toby, the Harpole\u2019s now had a total of two roosters, and twelve hens.<\/p>\n

When the sun broke across the horizon it triggered Toby\u2019s internal clock; he clinched the spurs of his feet against the wood, and then proceeded to belt out the loudest MOOOOOOOOOOO you ever heard. Again, and again, Toby proceeded to belt out MOOOOOOOOOOO, MOOOOOOOOOOO, and MOOOOOOOOOOO some more.<\/p>\n

Toby\u2019s mooing shocked everyone on the farm; especially since the Harpole\u2019s didn\u2019t own a cow.<\/p>\n

\u201cMa, did you hear that?\u201d Peter asked his Wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you referring to the biscuits in your stomach, or our new cow you forgot to tell me about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t buy any cow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peter got up from the table and proceeded to walk out the front door of his home. His two daughters, Annie, and Ellie followed him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably just some old cow that got loose from the McHenry farm, Peter,\u201d shouted Mrs. Harpole from behind the screen door.<\/p>\n

As Peter and his daughters approached the barn, Toby was still sitting atop the wooden fence.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Toby. Where\u2019s the cow at?\u201d asked Peter.<\/p>\n

Toby didn\u2019t say anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cToby, where did that mooing come from?\u201d asked Peter.<\/p>\n

Toby started to shake because he still had some moo left in him. He tried to keep it inside, but his body started to twitch as if he had been holding his breathe for over two minutes. His shaking became uncontrollable. Unable to hold it in any longer, Toby let out the loudest MOOOOOOOOOOO ever heard in Brackford County.
\nAnnie and Ellie jumped up and down with excitement.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy, we have a cow now,\u201d said Annie.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, listen to him moo, Daddy,\u201d said Ellie. Both of the girls laughed hysterically.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have a cow. What we\u2019ve got is a rooster with a weird sense of humor. Girls, go inside with your Mother. I want to talk with Toby alone please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Daddy, I want to play with him,\u201d said Ellie.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard me. Get along now.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the girls walked away disappointed, Peter looked Toby over and shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s take it from the top,\u201d said Peter. \u201cWhat\u2019s with the mooing Toby?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Harpole, you seem really nice and I hope that you\u2019ll have some patience with what I am about to share with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, I\u2019m listening,\u201d said Peter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll explain the mooing in a minute, but first there is something I have to tell you; last night I was taken from my home, and nobody even asked me if I was okay with it. I had a life at the McHenry farm and was very happy there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToby, this is your home now. I paid for you. Mr. McHenry was your rightful owner and he had every right to sell you if he wanted. If it\u2019s a nice hen you\u2019re looking to settle down with they\u2019re plenty available on this farm. In case you haven\u2019t already met her, Hazel\u2019s the cute brown and white colored hen over in the henhouse. She\u2019s a little feisty, but I think you two would hit it off once you got to know her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I already care about somebody else, and I miss her terribly,\u201d said Toby in a sad voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cToby, you\u2019re going to have to get used to living here. This is your home now. Forget that hen over at the McHenry farm, and move on with your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe isn\u2019t a hen,\u201d said Toby.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d asked Peter with a puzzled look on his face.<\/p>\n

Toby broke out in tears and said, \u201cMy Edna, oh how I miss my dear Edna.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, all right, take it easy. Edna\u2019s very important to you. I get it. That\u2019s nice. I am curious though, Toby, if Edna isn\u2019t a hen, what is she?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a cow, Mr. Harpole! Edna is a big, beautiful cow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re joking, right?\u201d asked Peter.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, sir, I\u2019m not. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been mooing. I told Edna before I was taken away that I would moo as loud as I could for her. I want her to hear me so she knows I am thinking of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToby, the first question I have for you, is how did you fall in love with a cow? You\u2019re a rooster for crying out loud.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever said love was easy, Mr. Harpole?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll give you that. But Toby, Mr. McHenry doesn\u2019t have any other roosters to sell. I asked him about that last night. He\u2019s one of the few farmers close by that even has chickens. Farmers in this region aren\u2019t looking to sell their roosters right now anyway, because they\u2019re trying to breed them. If you haven\u2019t noticed the crops aren\u2019t doing so well this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI realize that Mr. Harpole, but what\u2019s the problem with me mooing anyway? Is it really that big a deal?\u201d asked Toby.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it\u2019s coming from a rooster, yes, Toby it is. Let\u2019s say word gets out around town that my rooster moos instead of crows. The local grocers would probably quit buying from me because they think I have defective chickens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis just isn\u2019t fair, Mr. Harpole.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToby, I want you to think about everything we\u2019ve discussed. Bright and early tomorrow morning when you start to cackle, I\u2019ll be expecting to hear several loud crows out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Peter walked back toward the house, Toby collected his thoughts and pondered what he was going to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d said one of the hens to Toby. \u201cI hope you don\u2019t mind, but I was listening to your conversation with Mr. Harpole, and I would like to offer you some friendly advice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, fire away,\u201d said Toby. \u201cI could use it right now\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, first you\u2019ve got to understand Mr. Harpole\u2019s just trying to make an honest living to support his family,\u201d said the hen. \u201cWhat\u2019s so wrong with our place anyway? I think you would really like it here if you gave it a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me stop you right there. I completely understand and appreciate Mr. Harpole\u2019s situation. I really do. But what kind of life are we living for ourselves, if we just settle for whatever makes everyone else happy? This is a great farm, and everyone here has been wonderful so far. This isn\u2019t about where I live. I\u2019m talking about how I live. I\u2019m talking about being with the one I care about. Please don\u2019t take this personally,\u201d said Toby.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a little hard not too. Your wanting to be on a different farm is one thing, but wanting to get back to a cow; well, now every hen on this farm believes you feel you\u2019re too good for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is absolutely not true. Haven\u2019t you ever been in love?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes Toby, but it wasn\u2019t with a frog, a goat, or a tiger. His name was Charlie, and he was believe it or not, a rooster. Look, I\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t mean anything by that. I know this is tough, but you\u2019ll figure everything out. My name is Paula, Toby. If you ever need to talk just come over to the coop and peck three times.\u201d
\n\u201cI will, Paula. And thanks for the advice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toby couldn\u2019t sleep a wink that night. He didn\u2019t know what he was going to do. He thought about running back to the McHenry farm, but was afraid that would get him and Edna both in trouble. The next morning as the sun peeked over the horizon, Toby followed his heart and let out a very loud MOOOOOOOOOOO. About ten seconds after doing so, Peter ran out of the house to confront Toby!<\/p>\n

\u201cToby, what are you doing? Did you not listen to a thing I said yesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did Mr. Harpole. But I\u2019ve got to do what I believe in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peter shook his head and went back into his house to get the keys to his truck.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you going so early?\u201d asked Mrs. Harpole.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to town to hopefully find a buyer for that crazy rooster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy, please don\u2019t sell Toby? We love him,\u201d pleaded Annie.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a choice Annie. We\u2019ve got to make a living.\u201d Peter stormed out of the house and sped off in his truck.<\/p>\n

\u201dMommy, please don\u2019t let Daddy sell Toby? Please Mommy?\u201d cried Ellie.<\/p>\n

The next month was not the best of times at the Harpole farm. Peter had failed to find a buyer for Toby, because word had already spread about his mooing rooster. Every morning Toby mooed with all his might. People were starting to flock to the Harpole farm like seagulls to see Toby moo his heart out. When Toby\u2019s unusual behavior was mentioned in the local paper, Peter had all he could stand, and decided he would have to find a buyer for Toby out of the region. He didn\u2019t care if it meant driving three states away. Peter wanted to be done with this troublesome bird once and for all. One evening during supper, Peter mentioned his intensions to sell Toby out of state. It didn\u2019t sit well with his daughters.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy, I am begging you. Can we please keep Toby?\u201d asked Annie.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnnie, we\u2019ve already talked about this. We can no longer have this rooster causing so much disruption in our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t cause me dis-rup-tins, Daddy,\u201d cried Ellie. Peter looked at his daughters sad faces and it tore him up inside. He got up from the table and walked outside to take a walk. As Ellie was being consoled by her Mother, Annie became excited and blurted out, \u201cI have an idea Mommy. I have an idea how we can save Toby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what is it?\u201d asked Mrs. Harpole.<\/p>\n

\u201cToby wants to be with Edna more than anything right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m listening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, why can\u2019t Toby and Edna be together at the petting zoo in Belvar?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Harpole was sold on Annie\u2019s idea the moment she suggested it, and was anxious to share it with Peter upon his return. Mrs. Harpole believed in her heart this could be the solution to their ever growing dilemma. And it was. After a long sit down talk with both Peter, and Mr. McHenry, the Belvar petting zoo agreed to take on Toby and Edna as pets. Most of the money generated to see this unusual couple would go to the petting zoo, and the rest would be split equally between Peter, and Mr. McHenry.<\/p>\n

In no time at all Peter had made more money from the zoo than he would have with twenty roosters on his farm. And as for Toby and Edna, well, they\u2019re still together
\nto this day. They couldn\u2019t be happier. People who see them now don\u2019t find it that odd anymore. But they do have the strangest looking kids you ever did see.<\/p>\n

THE END<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

“The Rooster that Wouldn’t Crow”<\/span><\/em> Copyright \u00a9 2006 by Artie Knapp
\nAll Rights Reserved <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Artie Knapp (USA) the author has an excellent story site: Knapptime Stories illustration by Kevin Scott Collier It was the driest summer on record, and all the crops were wilting away. Every farmer in the region was reeling from their losses. Desperate to change his fortunes, Peter Harpole decided to try his luck with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[65],"class_list":["post-493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-childrens-stories","tag-artie-knapp"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=493"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1408,"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493\/revisions\/1408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}