ROOSTER RAGA

By- Natasha Sharma

Ruru is a little rooster with many tunes

in his head. Every time he opens his
beak, he sings. . . “ kee kee krooooo…
kee kee krooooo.” “ku ku ku… ku ku ku.”
“ku kee ku… kee ku kee!” Everything
but Kukaroo Kuroo! the rooster’s call. He
tries and he tries but he just can’t get it
right. Tomorrow is Rooster Day. Ruru is
so excited he can hardly hold his comb up and his feathers are
trembling. Ohhh! I so want to crow well. How do my other friends
make their calls?” Ruru wonders and sets out. “How do you do your
Mooo?” Ruru asks Cow. “Well, here’s what I tell my calf: Shake your
head, Open your mouth, And let out a nice long Mooo!” Ruru shakes
his head from side to side, Opens his beak and… “oh no! I think you
had better ask Donkey how he brays,” says Cow. “Here’s what I tell
my foal: Stamp thrice on the ground. Dhap! Dham! Dhap! And let out
a nice loud Heeen. . . Haaan!” Ruru clears off the hay, stamps Dhap!
Dham! Dhap! Opens his beak and . . . “YYYEEEEE!” YELPS Cat who
had been lounging in the sun. “Ruru! Goodness me! Stretch to the
front, Stretch to the back, And let out a perfect Miaoow!” Ruru
stretches his neck forward, tries hard to stretch it back, opens his
beak and . . . “EEE, EEE, EEE,” squeal the piglets in the pen, woken up
from their nap. “ Shhhh Ruru, quiet,” grunts Pig. “Do what my piglets
do: They roll to the right – squelch! They roll to the left _ squish!
And they grunt the best grunts… Khngrr!”

Ruru runs to the side of the pond. He closes his eyes, steps into the
mud, lies down and rolls around. Squelch! Squish! Squelch! Squish! He
opens his beak and …

“Oh no! will I ever learn my rooster call?” cries out Ruru. “ Listen to
a fellow bird, Ruru, “quacks Duck from the water.
“Flap your wings, Wiggle your bottom, open your beak wide, and
Quaaack!!” “ this should work,” This Ruru. He flaps his wings, wiggles
his bottom, opens his beak wide and… “Maaa….Maaa,” bleats Goat,
startled by this mud covered, strange sounding creature. “ How did
you say that?” Ruru asks the trembling kid, deciding to give it one
last try. “Ruru, is that you? A flick of my tail, a hop and a skip, and I
open my mouth to bleat Maaaa!” So Ruru flicks his tail feathers, hops
and skips, opens his beak and . . . Ruru hangs his head low. The sky
has turned a dark orange and it is almost time for bed. He trudges
back to the coop and sits down in a corner. Mama hens are clucking
away, busy collecting eggs and grain into big heaps for the next day.
Papa roosters are strutting about checking on plums and combs,
squawking every now and then. Young roosters with chests puffed up
are practising their crowing. Only Ruru sits alone and quiet. That is,
before another little rooster spots him. “We’ve been looking for you,
Ruru. You need to think up the rooster song for tomorrow.” Ruru
looks around in ashtonishment. “Me? I can’t even crow. How can I
come up with the song ?” “Oh we all kukaroo kuroo, but none of us
can make up the wonderful tunes that you can,” join in the other
roosters. “ Each time you sing, it’s different!”

That night Ruru has the best sleep ever! He wakes up bright and
early, flies onto the fence, his little head buzzing again with many
tunes. This time opens his beak to sing and dance to a very special

ROOSTER RAGA!
Shake your head
Do the moo
Stamp your feet
Roll in goo
Grunt and meow
Do the quack
Nothing you do
Is out of whack.
Just be you!