THE LITTLE RED ROOSTER

Foxy Joxy & Goosey Brucey
were sitting in the tulip garden
enjoying the spring air and a bit
of pink lemonade. Goosey Brucey
was looking through his purse for
a box of animal crackers when he
heard the leaves rustle.

Suddenly the Little Red Rooster
came popping out of the bushes,
bristling with excitement.
"Let's grow a great big organic
vegetable garden this year" he
squawked.

Foxy Joxy & Goosey Brucey
looked at each other. "We'll grow
the best produce in the world!"
clucked the Little Red Rooster.
"Won't that be fun?"

At first it was. they planned and
plowed. They planted & played.
"Hey, you're having too much fun"
the Little Red Rooster complained.
"Get back to work!"

One day Foxy Joxy was out in
the garden raking. "Hey, don't do
it that way, do it this way!" Guess
who. Pretty soon Foxy Joxy
got tired of working & went inside.

Then Goosey Brucey went out to
water the plants. "Don't pull the
hose that way! And don't forget
to do it again later" scolded the
Little Red Rooster. Luckily it rained
because Goosey Brucey didn't really
feel much like watering again.

"Hey! Let's make the garden bigger!"
exclaimed the Little Red Rooster.
"We can sell the extras & make piles
of money." Foxy Joxy & Goosey
Brucey looked at each other.

"I'll meet you in the garden at the
crack of dawn" hollered the Little
Red Rooster as he flew out the door.
"We'd better get to bed early" said
Goosey Brucey.

He & Foxy Joxy woke up to the
cock's crow and hurried out to the
garden. "What took you so long?"
grumbled the Little Red Rooster,
with his mouth full of bugs.
"I've been out here for hours!"

"I think I'll go back to bed" said
Foxy Joxy. "Me too" said Goosey
Brucey. The Little Red Rooster
stomped his foot. "I'll just do it
myself" he declared. And so he did.

They took a nap and then spent a
fun day at the beach. "I worked
by myself all day long" complained
the Little Red Rooster. "Good for
you" they answered, "good night."

And so it went all summer long.
The more the Little Red Rooster
complained, the less they helped.

"Who's going to help me eat this
zucchini?" asked the Little Red
Rooster. Foxy Joxy & Goosey
Brucey scurried off with a picnic
basket filled with peanut butter &
jelly sandwiches.

"Fine!" screamed the Little Red
Rooster. "I'll do it myself!"
He tried, he really tried. He ate
zucchini until he felt green. He
couldn't sell it, he couldn't even
give it away. "I'll put it in the
compost then" he said, & he did.

"My beak and feet are sore from
pecking bugs and scratching weeds."
hinted the Little Red Rooster. "Come
to the movies with us" invited his
friends. "I can't" he answered, "I
have to do all of this work myself"
and he stormed off.

Foxy Joxy & Goosey Brucey looked
at each other. "What should we do?"
They found the Little Red Rooster in
the garden tying up the tomatoes.
"Can we help?" they asked.

The Little Red Rooster didn't even
look at them. "I'll do it myself" he huffed.
Goosey Brucey & Foxy Joxy went off
to see a musical and eat popcorn. They
came home from a cool afternoon at the
theater to find the Little Red Rooster
sweating in the hot sun, hard at work.

"Would you like some help?" they asked
"Leave me alone" he muttered. And so
they did. "Maybe we should apologize"
said Foxy Joxy. "For what?" asked
Goosey Brucey. "I have no idea" said
Foxy Joxy.

The Little Red Rooster worked half the
night by the light of the moon, all by
himself. Soon the Little Red Rooster
had veggies coming out of his ears. He
didn't even have time to pick them. The
weeds grew faster than he could pull them.

"I can't do this by myself" muttered the
Little Red Rooster. Foxy Joxy & Goosey
Brucey looked at each other & smiled.
"HELP!" pleaded the Little Red Rooster.
"PLEASE!"

And so they did. They invited all of their
friends. They picked and sang, weeded
and laughed, watered and danced. It
was fun working together.

"I guess I bit off more than I could chew"
said the Little Red Rooster. "I really
appreciate your help, thank you!"
"You're welcome." His friends smiled
at each other.

"Don't forget to take some zucchini home
with you" said the Little Red Rooster.
"And come back tomorrow for lunch,
we'll have a huge salad. Foxy Joxy &
Goosey Brucey looked at each other and
laughed.

"Next year we can make the garden twice
as big!" crowed the Little Red Rooster.
"I'll be the Carrot King of the Universe!"

"Good Night" said Goosey Brucey &
Foxy Joxy.

(they walk into the moonlight arm in arm)