All of us love a good rooster tale, so robust in posture and song. Here is one that makes a great puppet show, and inspires and delights the children in their own play!!!
Long, long ago and far, far away in the land called China, the sky once had six suns shining on the earth. Whenever a farmer planted his seeds in spring, and the tender green shoots pushed through the soil, the six suns shone so strongly that the little plant would dry up at once.
The farmers tried everything. They watered the plants often, and they built sun shelters for the crops. But still the suns dried up everything. No plants could grow.
“How will we grow our gardens,’ the people wondered? Some grew their gardens inside, but that was not enough food for all the hungry people in China!
One farmer, a brave and strong young man named Howee, went to the ruler of all the land, the great Emperor Yao, and asked him what they were to do.
‘We must use our bows and arrows and shoot five of the suns out of the sky,’ said the great Emperor Yao. ‘That is what we must do’.
All the young men took their bows and arrows and climbed to the highest hill they lined up and shot their arrows into the sky, but the suns were much too far away, and their arrows fell to the ground.
Howee, who was standing by a pool of water, saw the suns reflecting in the water. ‘I will shoot the suns I see here in the water, surely that would help!’
He shot one arrow at the first sun, and to everyone’s surprise, it disappeared from the sky! He quickly shot sun’s two three, four, and five, and as before, they too disappeared from the sky. Everyone was amazed!
Sun number six acted quickly and disappeared behind the hill and could not be seen.
‘Hurray! Hurray!’ Cried all the people. ‘The suns will no longer dry up our gardens! We will have fresh food to eat!’ And everyone rejoiced.
But with no sun in the sky, the days were as dark as the nights. The Emperor declared that the sixth sun must return so people could see on the earth, and know what was day and what was night.
The farmers gathered and thought together. We will send the mighty tiger to go bring the sun back! But when the tiger climbed the hill the sun was hiding behind, he roared and roared so mightily, that the sun hid even more.
Then the farmers thought to send a cow, who might be more gentle in asking the sun to return. When the cow climbed the hill the sun was hiding behind, he called out, ‘mooooo, moooo, mooooo’. The sun yawned from the contented melody and fell asleep.
The farmers did not know what else to try. Howee, did have an idea. His own rooster had a wonderful song. Perhaps the sun would want to hear that sound!
Howee got his rooster to climb the hill the sun was hiding behind. Then the rooster flew up to the top of the tallest tree, fluffed his feathers, put his head back, and with all his power he sang his song.
Ruck a tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley doooo!
Rucka tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley dooo!
From behind the hill, the sun listened. ‘What is this jolly tune?’ Sun loved rooster’s song, and just had to peek over the hill to see who was singing it!
Ruck a tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley doooo!
Rucka tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley dooo!
With each crowing song of rooster, the sun rose over the hill a little more.
Ruck a tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley doooo!
Rucka tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley dooo!
Until sun sat high in the sky.
At once the seeds sprouted and started to grow. The farmers ran to tend to their gardens, and he plants grew and grew!
Hurray, the sun is back in the sky! Hurray for the sun!
Sun heard the farmers, and liked to be so loved. He decided to stay in the sky all day. But when day ended and the sun set behind the hill, no one was certain the sun would return again.
The great Empror Yao, asked Howee to bring his rooster to him.
The great Emperor Yao placed a beautiful red ruby crown on the rooster’s head. ‘You are now King of all the animals dear rooster. Your job is very important. Every morning you are to sing to the sun and welcome him to return to the sky.’
Rooster was so pleased with his ruby red crown, that he did just as the Emperor Yao asked.
The very next morning, and every morning after, he climbed to the top of the hill, flew to the top of the tallest tree, fluffed his feathers, threw back his head, and with all his power he sang his song….
Ruck a tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley doooo!
Rucka tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley dooo!
Ruck a tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley doooo!
Rucka tucka,
Ruck a tucka,
Cock a doodley dooo!
And that morning and every morning thereafter, sun, who loved the rooster’s jolly tune, peeked over the hill and rose in the sky.
Even today, all roosters still wear a ruby red crown and sing to the one sun every morning. And that is why we have day and night, and gardens that grow!
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