5 THE LITTLE ROOSTER

I

Once there was a man who had a little rooster. The little rooster liked to crow.

One night the man said, “How sleepy I am! I will go to bed and have a good sleep.”So he went to bed and slept.

Next morning the little rooster got up very early and ran to the house. He flapped his wings and crowed, “Cock-a-doodle-do! ”

He crowed so loud that he waked the man. “That must be the little rooster, ”said the man.

The man was so angry that he threw his hair-brush at the little rooster. The rooster ran away as fast as he could.

Then the man said, “Now that I am up, I will plant my garden.”So he planted his garden.

That night he put the little rooster into the hen-yard.

He said, “Now I will have a long sleep.”He went to bed and slept.

But the little rooster got up very early the next morning. He flew out of the hen-yard and ran to the house. “Cock-a-doodledo! ”he crowed.

The man waked up and said, “There is that little rooster again.”He was so angry that he threw his comb at the rooster.

But the little rooster had a comb. So he ran away as fast as he could.

Then the man said, “Now that I am up, I will weed my garden.”So he weeded his garden.

II

That night the man tied the little rooster in the hen-yard with a string.

He said, “Now I will have a long sleep.”So he went to bed and slept.

The little rooster got up very early the next morning. He bit the string in two and flew out of the hen-yard. He ran to the house and flapped his wings. “Cock-a-doodle-do! ”he crowed.

The little rooster crowed so loud that the man woke up.

“There is that little rooster again! ”said the man, “How can I sleep? ”He was as angry as he could be.

So he caught the little rooster and gave him away.

That night the man went to sleep early. He had a long sleep.

The next night he had a long sleep.

And the next night.

And the next. And the next.

But the weeds grew up and filled his garden.

(Charles Battell Loomis)

Word list

crow: the loud sound that a rooster makes in the morning

comb: a tool used for brushing one's hair

weed: a plant that does not produce flowers or fruit

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) What did the little rooster like to do?

2) How did the man feel about the rooster's crowing?

3) What did the man do the first time the rooster made him angry?

4) What did the man do with the rooster at the end of the story?

5) Do you think the man handled his anger correctly? Why or why not?

B) The story in order—Complete these sentences by telling 5 things that happened in the story.

1) First, _________________________________________________________.

2) Then, _________________________________________________________.

3) Next, ________________________________________________________.

4) After that, _____________________________________________________.

5) Finally, ______________________________________________________.

C) True or false? Read these sentences carefully. Write true or false for each one.

1) _____ The man was happy when the little rooster woke him up.

2) _____ The man wanted to have a long sleep.

3) _____ The man threw a banana at the rooster.

4) _____ The rooster woke up the man every morning.

5) _____ At the end of the story, the man gave the rooster away.