The Louisa Alcott Reader: a Supplementary Reader for the Fourth Year of School — John Shaqi
The Louisa Alcott Reader: a Supplementary Reader for the Fourth Year of SchoolAlcott, Louisa May
General
The Louisa Alcott Reader: a Supplementary Reader for the Fourth Year of School
Alcott, Louisa May
Children's stories; Readers (Elementary)
Cocky was much troubled, and didn't know what to do. He could not tell
the old lady about it; for he could only cackle and crow, and she would
not understand that language. So he went about all day looking very
sober, and would not chase grasshoppers, play hide-and-seek under the
big burdock leaves, or hunt the cricket with his sisters. At sunset he
did not go into the hen-house with the rest, but flew up to the shed
roof over the kitchen, and sat there in the cold ready to scare the
robbers with a loud crow, as he could do nothing else.
At midnight the men came creeping along; one stopped outside, and the
other went in. Presently he handed a basket of silver out, and went back
for the money. Just as he came creeping along with the box, Cocky gave a
loud, long crow, that frightened the robbers and woke the boys. The man
with the basket ran away in such a hurry that he tumbled into a well;
the other was going to get out of the window, when Cocky flew down and
picked at his eyes and flapped his wings in his face, so that he turned
to run some other way, and met the boys, who fired at him and shot him
in the legs. The old lady popped her head out of the upper window and
rang the dinner-bell, and called "Fire! fire!" so loud that it roused
the neighbors, who came running to see what the trouble could be.
They fished one man out of the well and picked up the wounded one, and
carried them both off to prison.
"Who caught them?" asked the people.
"We did," cried the boys, very proud of what they had done; "but we
shouldn't have waked if our good Cocky had not crowed, and scared the
rascals. He deserves half the praise, for this is the second time he has
caught a thief."
So Cocky was brought in, and petted, and called a fine fellow; and his
family were so proud of him they clucked about it for weeks afterward.
When the robbers were tried, it was found that they were the men who had
robbed the bank, and taken a great deal of money; so every one was glad
to have them shut up for twenty years. It made a great stir, and people
would go to see Cocky and tell how he helped catch the men; and he was
so brave and handsome, they said at last,--
"We want a new weather-cock on our court-house, and instead of an arrow
let us have a cock; and he shall look like this fine fellow."
"Yes, yes," cried the young folks, much pleased; for they thought Cocky
ought to be remembered in some way.
So a picture was taken, and Cocky stood very still, with his bright eye
on the man; then one like it was made of brass, and put high up on the
court-house, where all could see the splendid bird shining like gold,
and twirling about to tell which way the wind was. The children were
never tired of admiring him; and all the hens and chickens went in a
procession one moonlight night to see it,--yes, even Mamma Partlet and
Granny Cockletop, though one was lame and the other very old, so full of
pride were they in the great honor done King Cockyloo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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